fated
by Rikku-Hoshi
Summary: Tidus has always known his place: to seek redemption on the New Yevon faction, and nothing can stop him. Until he meets Yuna, the daughter of New Yevon’s leader.
1. Fateful Meeting

Wow... so here I am again, with... yet another fanfiction! Okay, I really wasn't going to do this, but... well, consider it a Christmas/New Year's present. XD

My summary really doesn't do it justice, either. There's no way to explain this story in just--what is is?--300 characters, or whatever it is. This is my first non-high school fic that I've attempted now in quite some time. The actual concept for this story came to me in a dream, and then after watching episodes of Gundam with my brother (yes, Gundam. I was preparing myself for Gackt's new Gundam album, and I really liked it! But no, this story has nothing to do with Gundam...), this whole story came together. And since I literally _think _in terms of Tidus and Yuna no matter how hard I try not to, I couldn't help but want to do this story as a fanfiction.

So I stole the title 'fated' from my other novel, and I began work on this. It's going to--hopefully--be short, and I'm going to--hopefully--have it done by the 18th of January. I've only written this chapter (I usually write more than one chapter before posting it, but...eh...) so far, so we'll see what happens. The current plan is to update it every other day, but... again, we'll see what happens.

I'd continue talking about the plot and stuff, but I think you'd better just read it and find out. I'm still not sure as to how it's going to end, because according to my current plan, there's going to be a seqel... so... we'll see.

Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter 1: Fateful Meeting

A gunshot rang through the air, followed by a surprisingly deafening silence. Blood found its way across the young boy's face, but he could not gasp. His breath was rushed, and hot tears flew from his eyes, mixing with the blood. Another gunshot echoed through the wide room, and more blood. The boy's breath became even more rushed.

The owner of the rifle smiled, revealing gleaming teeth from underneath his helmet, and he pointed the gun at the boy, so that the boy was looking directly into the rifle's barrel. He closed his eyes. This was it.

Another gunshot. The boy prepared himself for impact; for death. Death, nor pain, nor blood, came though. The boy opened one eye, revealing shockingly blue eyes, just in time to see the man who would have shot him, fall. Behind him stood a man who didn't appear to be very old at all. He lowered his gun and walked over to the boy, and put his hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay," he said, his voice soft. "I'm here to save you."

The boy simply smiled.

"Tidus…" the man said, his smile growing wider. "Tidus. Tidus."

Tidus' blue eyes flashed open, and he sat up straight in his bed, bumped his head on the low ceiling, and let out a gasp as he realized someone was standing at his side.

"Tidus!" As Tidus' eyes came into focus, he realized that his friend was standing beside him, with a look of concern spread out across his face.

"Whoa Wakka, don't scare me like that!" Tidus said, rubbing his head.

"Sorry, but you were making quite a ruckus, yelling 'Don't shoot!'. I was afraid a New Yevon rat was in here, or something… but it was just that dream again, huh?"

"Yeah, that dream," Tidus said, and he let out a low sigh. "It's just so real, even now, you know? It's all I remember about them, and it's horrible."

"I'm sure," Wakka said, shaking his head. "I couldn't imagine watching my parents get killed. I'm glad I wasn't there when it happened…"

"Yeah…" Tidus simply mumbled. "You're lucky."

"Thank Yevon for Nooj though, eh brudda?" Wakka said, smiling widely and giving Tidus a pat on the back.

"Wakka, if they hear you talk about Yevon one more time, they're going to assume you're a Yevonite." Both Tidus and Wakka looked up to see their friend Lulu standing in the doorway, her arms crossed.

"Ah, they know I don't mean New Yevon!" Wakka said, smiling and shaking his head. "What are you doin' here, Lu?"

"I heard Tidus yelling too," she said, rolling her eyes. "I thought no one was going to come to see what he was yelling about."

"I'm just a pitiful soldier," Tidus said, shrugging. "They don't care what happens to me."

"Now dat's not true!" Wakka said quickly. "Nooj cares about all of his children."

"I'm going back to bed," Lulu announced. "Let's try not to talk in our sleep anymore, okay Tidus?"

"Right," Tidus said sheepishly. "I'm sorry to bother you."

"Hey, maybe you're just nervous about tomorrow?" Wakka offered.

"Yeah, probably," Tidus admitted. "I'm surprised I fell asleep.

"You two both need to go back to sleep before you wake up the rest of this bunker," Lulu said. "I swear, these guys could sleep through anything."

Both Tidus and Wakka laughed and they looked around at the rest of the men, all snoring and sleeping soundly.

"Plus, if we get caught up…" Lulu trailed.

"Ah, relax Lu!" Wakka said. "This is Tidus' last night here, after all. I can't believe you passed basic training already!"

"Me neither," Tidus admitted. "But hey, it's not like I'm going to be on the front lines. I'm just a spy for now."

"But you could always get deported," Lulu said. "I know we said this earlier, but stay in Bevelle for as long as you can, okay? Don't do anything stupid and go running off to Zanarkand."

Tidus rolled his eyes, and laid back in his uncomfortable bed.

"You guys know I want to fight," he mumbled.

"But it's safer in Bevelle, as long as you're not caught," Wakka said, his voice surprisingly stern. "Don't do anything stupid like Chappu did."

Tidus rolled his eyes despite himself. He'd heard plenty about Chappu, Wakka's little brother and Lulu's lover, who had decided to go right to the front-lines, only to get himself killed on his first day of duty.

"I want to fight…" Tidus simply mumbled again.

"Maybe this war can end before you get that far," Lulu said, her voice rather monotone.

"That's doubtful," Tidus said, sitting back up with a sigh. "Spying should be fun. More fun than here, anyway."

"Hey, what's dat supposed to mean?" Wakka demanded, which just caused Tidus to laugh. Wakka was his drill sergeant, the man who taught him everything he knew. Wakka had taken an immediately liking to Tidus, mostly because of Tidus' determination. It didn't hurt either that Tidus apparently shared an uncanny resemblance to Wakka's brother Chappu.

Lulu meanwhile worked as the black magic trainer, training soldiers in the art of black magic, something Tidus never understood. All Youth League training took place on the small island of Besaid, which belonged to Zanarkand, the real headquarters of the Youth League. Wakka and Lulu remained there, where they took in new soldiers, and trained them, before they were deported to their designated area in Spira.

The day had been Tidus' final day in basic training, before he was off in a special mission group known as the 4-9 Spy Unit. Tidus, along with ten others, were chosen for the mission. Their task was really quite simple. Tidus and the others were off to Bevelle, the city that headquartered their adversary, New Yevon. There, they would blend in as regular civilians—and thusly followers of New Yevon—and gather what information they could as an insider of the city of Bevelle. Each of the ten members of the unit were assigned a district in Bevelle.

Tidus himself got assigned to what he was sure was a boring merchant district. The idea was that travelling merchants may be able to offer some information, but Tidus was certain that it wouldn't be nearly as exciting as the imperial district.

He had been trained in ground combat as well as the skill of information gathering. The unit would be there for an unspecified amount of time, before getting called to a committee to reveal what they had learned. It was a trial plan, and not at all Tidus' idea of a good time. Tidus wanted to fight.

Tidus had just been assigned earlier that day, and had said a quick goodbye to Wakka and Lulu, who had become his friends. Although he was sure it was just because he resembled their friend, the two had become almost caretakers of him, something he'd never had before.

Tidus didn't remember much of his life before the age of eight, the fateful day that his parents had been murdered at his side. Actually, Tidus didn't remember anything before the moment that his mother and father's blood was splattered across his face. The day that Nooj, now the leader of the Youth League, saved him.

After that, he'd been sent to Youth League camps, where he learned everything there was to learn about the fight between Zanarkand and Bevelle, the Youth Group and New Yevon.

It was actually quite simple, despite the fact that the war had been going on for years.

As it'd been explained to him, Spira had once been untied, under the rule of Yevon, a great ruler of all. When Yevon died, however, his two sons began to argue. They broke off into the two major cities, Bevelle and Zanarkand. Still, the brothers weren't happy. The ruler of Bevelle wanted to rule Zanarkand as well, and vice-versa. And so, the war raged.

Eventually, the two quit fighting, and set up their own empires. Zanarkand claimed Besaid while Bevelle took over its neighboring island, Kilika. Both empires set up bases on their own island, just in case a war would ever break out again.

Bevelle was turned into a monarchy, a true empire, and called itself New Yevon, literally the ruling of a new Yevon. Zanarkand took a more liberal approach, and decided to elect a young official as their leader, and they referred to themselves and their form of government as the Youth League.

As the sons of Yevon died and new leaders came into the picture, peace became more and more fragile. Rumor had it that a native of Kilika 'accidentally' launched off a test bomb on Besaid, killing many, including Wakka and Lulu's parents, which set off the initial blow for the war. Pretty soon, there was an attack on Bevelle, followed by an attack on Zanarkand.

It wasn't long before things began to get extremely dangerous. Both cities were working hard to annihilate the other, but it became apparent early on that Bevelle had the best weapons. To prove this, they destroyed Zanarkand.

That simply made the Youth League more upset, and gave them even more to fight for. And so, the two empires engaged in what was known as the never-ending war. The main battles were fought by foot in the ruins of Zanarkand, as Bevelle tried to expand its empire into the ruined city. Thinking about Zanarkand made Tidus' blood boil. It had been his home, after all.

"How do you think I'll survive, pretending to be a citizen of Bevelle?" Tidus asked, sighing loudly. "You think I can pull it off?"

"Of course you can," Lulu said.

"But it will be tough," Wakka said through clenched teeth. "Just don't be afraid to kill anyone…"

"Don't start anything!" Lulu simply said, glaring at Wakka. "Well, unless it's something great."

"I wish I was in the imperial district," Tidus said with a sigh. "That would be so much more exciting."

"I know, just think if their leader came out. You could kill him and_BANG!_, this whole war would end!" Wakka announced gleefully.

"I doubt it would end just like that," Lulu said, rolling her eyes at him. "Besides, they have that genius commander-in-chief."

"Baralai," Tidus sneered, and he rolled his hands into fists. "That traitor."

"It wasn't a surprise," Wakka said. "Nooj himself announced it. Baralai was upset that Nooj got named the leader of the Youth League and not him."

"That doesn't give him reason to go to the enemy!" Tidus said. "If I ever saw him, you can bet that I would blow his head off."

"You'd be killed in an instant," Lulu said, crossing her arms.

"Would it matter?" both Wakka and Tidus demanded at the same time.

Lulu just shook her head, and said, "Have you heard about the other special unit being released in Bevelle?"

"What other unit?" Tidus said, his voice slightly whiny. How he dreaded to be on _any_ unit than his own.

"The Youth League has decided that the best way to get to New Yevon's leader is through his daughter. She's only nineteen. She's believed to be utterly naïve as well, an easy kill."

"Damn, why couldn't I be on that line?" Tidus said. "Just think of the reward I'd get if I killed her."

"They couldn't put you on that line because you're nineteen and naïve too," Wakka said, laughing a full, hearty laugh.

"Ah, shut up," Tidus said. "You think they put me on this stupid line because of my age?"

"It's a possibility," Lulu said. "You're just lucky you weren't shipped off to the front line like most kids your age."

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Tidus said with a pout.

Both Wakka and Lulu laughed, before Lulu finally said, "We need to go."

"Right, right…" Wakka mumbled. "Take care, will ya?"

"Will do," Tidus said. "But I'm off to Zanarkand to fight first chance I get."

Wakka just shook his head, and said, "Be careful."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"We mean it, Tidus," Lulu said. "We'll probably never see you again, whether you survive or not."

That was true. Tidus swallowed, and forced a smile, and said, "Thanks for everything, guys."

Wakka shrugged and said, "We're just gonna miss having you around."

"I'll miss you guys too," Tidus said. "Maybe I'll try to write?"

"Are you even literate?" Wakka joked.

"Yes!" Tidus said, but he laughed and shook his head. "I'll be careful, okay? I'll make it out alive, so that someday I can come back here."

Both Wakka and Lulu smiled at this mention, and they said a few final farewells, before they left the barracks, shutting the door softly behind them.

Tidus laid back down, and took a deep breath. Tomorrow was the day, the day he'd been looking forward to since the day his parents had died.

The day he could finally begin his quest for redemption.

-

The quest to Bevelle was long, and started early. Tidus truly had no time to see Wakka and Lulu again, nor did he really have time to wish anybody farewell. The next thing he knew, he was in a boat, on his way to the city of Luca, the only neutral city in all of Spira, not counting Al Bhed territories.

From there, the troops were forced to split into smaller groups, and toward Bevelle they all went. They stopped for an overnight stay at the Youth League's station at Mushroom Rock, where they received false travelling passes to allow them access into Bevelle.

It was understood that the most dangerous part of the entire operation was getting into Bevelle, which, to Tidus, was the most exciting.

The troop reached Bevelle very early in the morning, and everybody was very tired. Tidus was the fourth member of his unit to enter the city, and he was given his fake travelling pass. The other three had made it safely, so it was guessed that as the fourth, Tidus wouldn't have a problem.

He was to walk up to the gate, present his travelling pass, and immediately arrive at his station, which was of course located in the merchant district, with a Youth League merchant already there in disguise. Then the next day, his real work would begin.

Tidus was given the okay to go, so he took a deep breath, and started toward the gate of Bevelle, and lined up behind the others—who were all probably innocent civilians—who were lined up to gain access to the New Yevon imperial city.

Tidus did his best to act as the others were. It wasn't too difficult to do, either. Everybody around appeared to be weary travelers, and for the time being, that was exactly what Tidus was. He was too weary to care about much, and that included his cause. He just wanted to arrive at his destination and relax, before the real work began.

He reached the gate, where a bunch of New Yevon soldiers stood, checking the papers. Tidus presented his to the guard, who he realized was no older than he was.

The guard looked at it, glanced at him, and looked at it again, before giving him the initial okay. From there, Tidus had to get back in line.

After waiting in that line for what seemed like ages, he finally reached an older, balding guy, who once again examined his pass.

"Wait a minute…" the man suddenly said, his voice waking Tidus up immediately.

"Is something wrong?" Tidus asked, his voice tired.

"You're coming from Luca?" the man questioned.

"Yeah," Tidus said, his voice firm and steady despite the fact that his heart was beginning to race. He knew that if the Yevonites began to suspect anything, he himself was to pull his sword out and kill himself before they could demand any answers. Tidus gulped, despite his attempts to stay steady.

"How long were you there?" the man questioned.

"Just a while," Tidus said, trying to think of a good excuse on the run. "I'm returning from a quick trip to Kilika."

"Do you have your files from Kilika?" the guard asked.

"I'm afraid not," Tidus said. Oh Yevon, this was it. Tidus swallowed hard and wrapped his fingers around the knife he had sheathed on his waist. He was going to have to kill himself, and that was that.

"Seems like we've been running into that problem a lot," Tidus heard a voice behind him, and there stood a set up hazel eyes. The owner of the eyes put his hand on Tidus' shoulder, and said, "Let him through."

The man looked at the man behind Tidus, who was dressed, Tidus realized, in full-out Yevonite uniform, so that just his eyes were visible.

In one quick movement, he took his helmet off, and platinum hair was revealed. He smiled a youthful smile, and the guards all nodded and started to shove Tidus through.

Tidus, however, was in shock. There stood Baralai, the commander-in-chief of the New Yevon forces, whom all Youth Leaguers knew to be a traitor.

Tidus was shoved through and into the city's gates so quickly though, that he was forced to snap out of the shock he was feeling. He realized his hand was still on his knife, and that if he hadn't been pushed through, chances were that he would have pulled that knife out and killed the young commander-in-chief before anybody knew what was happening.

Grinding his teeth together in hatred, Tidus shook Baralai's gleaming smile out of his head, and marched through the streets of the unfamiliar city. His weariness was slowly returning, and he knew that the faster he arrived at his checkpoint, the faster he'd be able to finally go to sleep. It had been a very long journey, after all.

The streets of Bevelle were very wide, and mostly everything was draped in a blood-red color or royal violet, the colors that signified New Yevon. It made Tidus sick to his stomach.

The people themselves seemed friendly enough. There were some elderly people standing outside of a tavern laughing, and a young paperboy at the corner attempting to sell some papers.

Tidus pulled out a map quickly, where his area of the city was circled. He quickly found his way there, and tore the map up and dumped it in the trash. He didn't need to leave behind any evidence that he was there for a reason for him being where he was.

He took a deep breath and turned around to see his surroundings, which he realized instantly was the city's bazaar. There were endless tables set up, with men and women alike attempting to sell random items of interest.

Tidus stood there, momentarily dumbfounded. He had long forgotten what it was like to be in a city environment. There was definitely much more hustle and bustle than at the Besaid training camp. He felt a twang of loneliness in the pit of his stomach. Who knew that he would get homesick for Besaid?

He sighed loudly, wondering how long he would be stationed in Bevelle. It was a dangerous task, being that he was literally a spy. Still, he couldn't see much excitement coming from what was just a giant bazaar.

Although, he realized, these people were probably not the most innocent of Bevelle's civilians. Even so, Tidus was far too tired to think of any excitement occurring.

For the time being, he just wanted to find his checkpoint, and sleep.

He took a deep breath, and decided he needed to find his place, a building by the number 128. His eyes scanned the buildings, but 128 seemed to be nowhere in sight.

Finally, he sighed loudly, and decided that he was just going to ask somebody. He walked up to one of the bazaar counters, only to notice that the lady was quite large and covered in tattoos. Tidus had to admit that it frightened him to know that that lady was twice his size.

So, Tidus turned around and then saw who appeared to be the perfect person to ask for directions.

Walking toward from him was a girl who appeared to be about his age, with shoulder-length brown hair. She smiled a shy smile as he caught her eye, and Tidus decided that she would be the perfect person to ask where his building was.

He smiled back at her and he approached her somewhat quickly.

However, she opened her mouth first.

"Excuse me," she said, her smile growing wider, and Tidus was shocked to see that she had two mis-matched eyes. "Do you happen to know how to get to the Rosemary District from here?"

"Rosemary District?" Tidus said, feeling a moment of shock. _What the hell was the Rosemary District?_

"Surely you know where that is, right?" she said, giving him what appeared to be a confused smile.

Tidus began to panic. Should he know what it was and how to get there? This girl didn't know how, so should he?

"I'm afraid I've never been to this district before," the girl continued, "but surely you've been to the Rosemary District, right? You know, that's where all city meetings have been."

Tidus stood there in slight shock for a moment, realizing that the girl appeared utterly confused. City meetings?

"City meetings," the girl continued. Then, she lowered her voice and said, "You are with New Yevon, right?"

"R-Right!" Tidus said, possibly too loudly and too jumpy. "Right, of course I know where that district is!"

"Good," the girl said, smiling proudly. "Could you show me the way?"

Tidus blinked a few times. Who was this girl? He wondered if it was a Bevellian thing to do, to lead lost females who wandered away from their homes back. She seemed to expect him to.

"Sure," Tidus just said, shaking his head. He had to blend in, after all. The problem was, he had no idea what the Rosemary District was, let alone where it was.

Even so, he put on a confident smile and said, "Just follow me."


	2. Missed Opportunity

I rather enjoyed writing his chapter, and I sat down and wrote the whole thing right after I uploaded chapter 1. I haven't had as good of luck with chapter 3, but I'm almost done with it. I'm afraid things are moving too fast in too little of time, but since I'm on a strict time limit (and I'll be gone this weekend and therefore unable to update on time...) I have to keep the story going. So I'm sorry if it gets just a little unbelievable.

Also, I noticed that I forgot to include my little introduction on chapter 1, so if you're at all interested, feel free to go back a chapter and read it!

Well, enjoy!

Chapter 2: Missed Opportunity

"Okay, the Rosemary District…" Tidus said, after the two walked for a good ten minutes. "It should be somewhere around here…"

The girl giggled and said, "Are you new to this area?" Tidus noticed her giggling was rather confused sounding. He swallowed. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to throw the map out before examining it more carefully.

Tidus played it cool and said, "Yeah, I just came here from… uh, you know, the other side of the city."

The girl smiled, a real, non-confused smile, and said, "The wharf district?"

"Yeah," Tidus said, nodding. "I actually just moved to this district today."

"Oh really?" she said, her eyes bright and full of curiosity. Curiosity that Tidus didn't need.

"Yeah, I was actually looking for my new building," Tidus said.

The girl laughed and said, "Wow, we're in the same boat, huh?"

"Yeah, completely lost…" Tidus said.

"I can ask someone else to help me," the girl said, her voice trailing softly. "It was foolish of me to wander off so far as it was. It's just that I'd never been out of my district before, and I dreadfully wanted to see what else there was, you know? You understand, right?"

"Well, yeah, I guess…" Tidus said, giving her a quick glance. Was it normal for people in Bevelle to never leave their districts?

"If it's alright, do you mind telling me your name?" the girl said, her smile small on her lips.

Tidus opened his mouth, but he couldn't seem to utter his name. After all, what if it was a bad idea to let her know his name? He tried to remember if his name was 'Tidus' on his travelling passes. His mind raced, and he attempted to find a name.

"Um... my name's Sorin," he said quickly, remembering that he had seen that name upon entering the city, on a sign that read "Sorin's Tavern" or something to that effect. She nodded, but Tidus noticed she didn't say hers. "Um… and yours is?" Tidus prodded her.

She gave him an almost shocked look, before she quickly said, "Yuna."

Yuna? The name seemed familiar. Tidus looked at her again, but knew he didn't recognize her from anywhere. Should he recognize her?

"Are… are you tired, Sorin?" she asked, which caused Tidus to give her a weird look, as if to ask why, which she answered with, "You have such large bags under your eyes!"

"I've been doing a lot of travelling…" Tidus answered, hoping her array of questions would end. Even so, he found that he had questions for her. He wanted to ask her how she had managed to get so far from her district, and why she seemed to naturally assume that he knew of her district. He wanted to ask her what went on at 'city meetings'. Most of all though, he wanted to ask her what she thought of New Yevon, the one question that he could not by any means ask her.

After the two wandered on for a little while longer, with Yuna following behind 'Sorin', as if he knew where he was going, Yuna finally sighed and said, "So you honestly have no idea where we're going?"

"Or where we're at…" Tidus said, praying that he wasn't blowing his cover by being lost. "I'm sorry Yuna, but I'm probably not the most fit to help you, seeing as I don't even know where we are now."

"It's not your fault at all!" Yuna said, very quickly. "I shouldn't have wandered off like I did."

"Maybe you should ask someone else to help you…" Tidus said.

"Uh, no… I'll stay with you," Yuna said, smiling widely at him. He noticed there was a bit of nervousness in her eyes, a bit of unease. For a second, Tidus wondered if she was a member of the Youth League, sent there to test him, or something. She seemed so ordinary, and so young. Besides, he was sure he would have been told of her, wouldn't he?

Yuna seemed to notice his own uneasiness, for she threw on a bright smile and said, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to seem anxious or anything… it's just that I feel like I can trust you."

Tidus wanted to laugh. She felt like she could trust him?

"Everybody else seemed so perturbed and edgy, but you… well, you remind me of someone I once knew." She smiled even wider, and Tidus noticed that instead of walking a ways behind him, she was now walking right at his side, as his equal.

"I haven't had a lot of friends," she continued, "so I'm afraid I'm probably very socially awkward. But out of my few friends, you remind me of my favorite."

Tidus wanted to ask her why she was telling him all of this, but he kept his mouth shut, knowing that the less he said, the better off he was, whether or not she was on his side or not.

She laughed then, and said, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you all of this…"

To Tidus' surprise, he just smiled at her. By now he was sure they were walking around in circles, but he felt a new wave of energy going through him, as if he hadn't been up most of the night, and as if he hadn't, just an hour ago, almost been about to kill himself.

"I'm hungry," Yuna suddenly announced, and she grabbed Tidus' arm, only to drop it immediately. The two stared at each other, wide-eyed, as if Yuna had just taken part in some unspeakable sin, but then she smiled and said, "Do you mind if we stop for a bite to eat over there?"

"That place?" Tidus asked, looking at the small, decapitated café. "There's no one there…"

"That's the point!" she said, and she started toward it. "Are you coming?"

"I guess…" Tidus said, because he couldn't deny that he too, was quite hungry.

The place was very small, and there was only one lady working, and an older man smoking a cigar in the back. It smelled like burnt food and was rather dingy, but Yuna didn't seem to mind. She took a seat by the door, and Tidus sat in front of her.

There were menus already on the table, and the two looked at them. It had been a long time since Tidus had eaten anything other than the Besaid Base's horrid food, so he had to admit that everything looked delicious.

"What are you going to order, Sorin?" she asked him, only to look confused as he didn't answer.

"Oh, me?" Tidus said, laughing. He knew he must have seemed like an idiot, but Yuna didn't seem to notice. He got the impression that she seemed to think that she herself seemed like an idiot, being that she was constantly letting out nervous giggles.

"Yes you," Yuna said, still smiling. She seemed to smile a lot, which made Tidus feel much more at ease. It had been a while since he'd met someone who smiled as much as she did. Wakka did at times, but other than that, there were few smiles to be seen at the Besaid base.

Tidus simply shrugged, and turned his attention back to the menu. Yuna did the same, but Tidus looked up, his eyes quickly examining her concentrated face.

He knew he'd been denying it to himself since he'd first laid eyes on her, but if he was going to admit it, he'd say that she was really quite pretty. He swallowed and looked back at the menu. He couldn't be finding girls pretty. Especially girls from Bevelle.

Still, Yuna seemed different. She seemed to be constantly hinting at the fact that she wasn't just a typical Bevelle civilian. And besides that, he couldn't help but want to admit to her that he felt comfortable around her as well, almost as if they were two lost chums who were finally reunited.

Perhaps she was a member of the Youth League? He remembered that he was supposed to have a partner. Perhaps it was Yuna? Perhaps Yuna was waiting for him to drop the hint that he was a member of the Youth League as well?

Tidus swallowed. It was too dangerous. He couldn't let her know. He glanced up at her again and smiled. He'd make sure she was the one to drop the bomb first, and he hoped it'd be soon. The sooner the better, actually.

The waitress finally made her way over to them, and she pulled out a tattered notebook and said, "What'll y'all be havin'?"

Yuna made her order, and Tidus simply ordered the same thing, for he hadn't really been focusing on the menu as much as he was focusing on Yuna.

As soon as the waitress left, Yuna leaned forward and said, in a rather dropped voice, "Do you think we should ask her how to get to Rosemary? You don't think she'll be suspicious of us, do you?"

"Nah, why would she?" Tidus just asked, shrugging.

Yuna laughed and said, "Are you sure you're not from Kilika or something?"

"Okay, fine, wanna know a secret?" Tidus said, leaning even closer to her, now completely crossing the center of the small table.

"Yes," Yuna said, her eyes glowing with curiosity.

"I am from Kilika," Tidus said. "Or at least, you could say that."

Yuna gasped and said, "You're not Al Bhed, are you?"

To this, Tidus laughed. "Al Bhed?" he cried. "When was the last time you saw one of them?"

Yuna's smile slowly faded, and she leaned back and said, "I was hoping that's where I knew you from…"

Tidus' smile disappeared, and he said, in an even more hushed voice, "You know an Al Bhed?"

Yuna looked around and she said, "Sorin, you're really not from around here, are you?"

"No…" Tidus said, praying he wasn't blowing his cover. He was intrigued though. Did this girl really think him to be Al Bhed?

Tidus' heart suddenly began to speed. What if she was a Yevonite, just waiting for him to slip the code that he was with the Youth League. Tidus wanted to hit his head on the table. How had he been so stupid? He knew the wise thing would be to say that he had to go, and to leave quickly before he let anything more slip.

For reasons unknown to him though, he couldn't.

"My mother…" Yuna said, very, very softly, "…was Al Bhed."

"Y-Your mother?" Tidus gasped. His eyes suddenly opened wide. So this girl wasn't a part of New Yevon and she wasn't part of the Youth League. She was Al Bhed!

"But shh…" Yuna said, making a shushing sound. "You have to promise me that you won't tell anybody."

Tidus let out a confused laugh of his own, and he said, "Why would you tell me such a thing if it's meant to be a secret?"

To this, Yuna sat back and shrugged. "I don't know, Sorin. I really don't know."

It pained Tidus every time she referred to him as 'Sorin'. It was obvious as to why she was calling him that, of course, but maybe he wasn't supposed to lie about his name? Perhaps she'd been told to look for a Tidus? Even so, he couldn't tell her. Especially if she was with the Al Bhed.

The Al Bhed fought on their own. It was believed that they just wanted to live in peace, so they made a 'Home' for themselves. Their leader was a man named Gippal, who had, as rumor went, grown up with both Nooj and Baralai. Of course, no one had ever seen them, and it was very rare to ever see an Al Bhed.

Both those with New Yevon and with the Youth League wanted desperately for the Al Bhed to join with their side, but the Al Bhed refused and remained in hiding. Some believed that they were planning their own little rebellion, however, to take over both New Yevon and the Youth League.

"So…" Tidus said, his eyes intense on Yuna's. "Are you… are you with the Al Bhed?"

To this, Yuna let out a loud laugh, and she said, "Oh Yevon no! Honestly, this war makes no sense to me."

So she was on neither side? Tidus simply sat back, confused.

"In fact, I think it's rather ridiculous," Yuna continued, shrugging. "So many people are out there, ruining their lives over it. I've lost friends, too, because of it."

"Me too," Tidus agreed, mostly because he was unsure of what else to say.

Yuna smiled at his words though, and said, "I'm very happy to have met you, Sorin. Even if you don't know your way to Rosemary."

"Rosemary?" the two both looked up with startled expressions on their face to see the waitress, standing there with their food in her hand. "Mind if I ask you two why you want to go there?"

Yuna bit her lip and shot Tidus a nervous glance, and he wondered why exactly she did want to go there.

"I live there," Yuna said, and Tidus noticed how intently she watched the waitress' face, as if waiting to see her expression.

Tidus was shocked to see a light of recognition shoot into the waitress' face, who immediately blushed.

"But anyway, how do you get there from here?" Tidus questioned, not caring for the moment whose side anybody was on.

The lady shot him a confused look, but shrugged and said, "You head north until you come to the old blitzball arena, you take a left, and you should see the gates."

"Thank you!" Yuna said, her face lighting up with a smile. The lady just hurriedly put their plates down and rushed off.

"Thank you so much for asking!" Yuna said, still smiling widely. "Although my father is going to kill me when I get home…"

"You really do live there?" Tidus questioned, although he knew his face appeared blank. He knew nothing of the district, after all. Why did the waitress seem so surprised by it?

"So you're from Kilika…?" Yuna just said, but she laughed and began to eat, obviously not waiting for Tidus' response.

Tidus just smiled and watched her as she ate. She looked up at him and smiled at him, and then continued to eat.

Tidus began to eat too, but found it hard to keep his eyes off of her. He felt stupid, constantly staring at her like he was, but he couldn't help himself. Perhaps it was the fact that, well, he was a man, and besides a few encounters with some girls on the island, he hadn't really had too much experience with the opposite sex. Yuna seemed so much different than any other girl he'd ever met. She seemed so small and innocent, and truly happy; the type of girl who loved life. He laughed to himself at the thought of loving life. Perhaps she really lived in a world completely unlike his, far from the war?

He began to wonder what she would think of him if he told her that his truest desire was to be in the front lines in Zanarkand, shooting down the Yevonite soldiers.

The waitress returned with their bill, which she laid on the table and then quickly retreated, as if she was frightened of them.

"Shit…" Tidus said under his breath, his face completely blank.

"What's wrong?" Yuna asked him, her expression of utmost concern.

"I…I haven't been somewhere like this in so long," Tidus began, knowing he sounded like a country idiot. "I forgot that we have to pay, and I have no money."

To this, that beautiful smile found itself once again on Yuna's lips, and she said, "It's alright, I'll pay. It's the least I can do, since you've been helping me."

"I've been a horrible helper though," Tidus said. "I'm lost as it is."

Yuna just laughed and said, "But you've kept me company, and, I feel safe around you." She gave a little shrug, and then continued eating.

Yuna felt safe with him? Tidus wanted to laugh. Now he really wanted to know what she'd think if he told her his greatest desire was to kill as many people as he could.

"I'm not that great of a guy," he told her in return, shaking his head and taking a drink of the water that was placed on the table in two wooden cups.

"You're perfect for me," Yuna said, and her cheeks instantly reddened. "Okay, that didn't come out right…"

Tidus laughed, mostly at the awkwardness of Yuna's words. What could he say to that?

"What I meant," Yuna said, obviously trying to re-word her statement, "is that I needed someone who didn't know anything about me."

Tidus felt somewhat taken aback by her words, but before she could explain, she stood up, threw some coins on the table, and said, "Well, shall we?"

Before Tidus could even nod, she headed out the door, obviously wanting to escape her last few words. Tidus followed her hastily, but noticed that she was waiting for him.

She smiled at him, and he just shook his head and said, "Come on. Hopefully it's not too far from here."

"We could have asked her where your home is," Yuna said, following Tidus' brisk pace. "Do you want to go back?"

"You should probably get home," was all Tidus said.

"I… I don't really want to go," Yuna said.

Tidus stopped and gave her a shocked look. "You don't want to go home?"

"I'm going to be in very big trouble," she said, shaking her head. "My father is going to want to know where I've been, and then he's going to give me the long 'it's dangerous out there' spiel."

"What's he afraid of?" Tidus asked. "Bevelle's a safe city, isn't it?"

Yuna rolled her eyes and said, "That's what I think. Besides, there are guys out there like you, right?" She smiled at him and continued to walk, despite the fact that Tidus was still standing there. She walked a ways before turning around and saying, "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," Tidus said, and he walked quickly back to her side.

The passed the old blitzball arena that was completely in ruins, and took a left as directed. After walking a ways, Tidus noticed that the ugly, weeded brick paths had turned into a beautiful path of newly laid bricks. There were trees plotted on each side of the path, and no one was around. Soon, he saw a huge silver gate in front of him, and what was behind that caused him to stop.

There, before his eyes, stood the imperial palace of New Yevon, the headquarters where all of his greatest enemies lived.

With his heart racing, he looked at Yuna, who had taken a few steps away from him, her eyes set on his.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Tidus said, his face instantly dropping. Yuna's large mismatched eyes met his, and she gave him a small shrug.

"I honestly don't know," she said, her face falling as well. Instantly, it was as if a wall grew between them. A large, glass wall. As if both sensing it, they took a step apart from each other. "I'm Yuna, daughter of Braska, the leader of New Yevon."

"The leader's daughter," Tidus repeated, his eyes wide, and he worried that hatred flickered within them.

Yuna nodded. She knew just as he that he wasn't happy with this news. She swallowed loudly, looked away from him, and said, "Thank you ever so much for your companionship today."

Tidus began to breathe heavily. Without even realizing it, he felt his fingers wrap around the handle of his knife. He looked around quickly, his eyes flicking from side-to-side. The street was empty. Pictures of Wakka's and Lulu's--and everybody else for that matter!--faces popped into his head. How happy they'd be to know that he'd managed to kill the leader's daughter. It was that other mission, after all. How easily he could accomplish it!

Without even thinking on the matter any further, Tidus licked his lips and pulled out the knife, unsheathing it. The sound seemed to echo throughout the air.

Yuna instantly turned around, her eyes wide with fear. She opened her mouth to say something, her beautiful lips opening just slightly. Tidus stood there, the knife in the air, ready to attack. For some reason, he couldn't seem to move. Perhaps it was because of that invisible wall.

Yuna blinked a few times, and then she said, "I'm sorry you feel that way about me, Sorin."

Tidus leaned forward, but he couldn't move. He couldn't take a step.

"You're a part of the Youth League, aren't you?" Yuna asked then, her voice surprisingly strong. A light breeze wrapped around the two, blowing her hair gently.

"Yes," Tidus said, surprised that he could find his voice. Slowly, he found himself letting the knife fall. He shook his head. There she was. His target. It was such a perfect opportunity, and yet, he couldn't do anything about it.

"I'm sorry you feel the way you feel," she said, shaking her head. "Again, thank you. And… I'm sorry."

He watched as she turned around again, and started back toward her huge estate.

"Yuna…" Tidus called after her, shaking his head. "Why are things so bad between our two groups?"

"I don't know," was all she said. With that, she walked up to the gold plated doors, stuck in a key, and in she went.

She stopped as soon as she heard the gate shut, and she turned to face him, her eyes upon his once again. She gave him an almost imploring look, and that was almost too much for him.

Suddenly, Tidus could find his feet again. He rushed to her, and he figured it was the look on his face, for Yuna didn't move. She simply stood there, that imploring look never leaving.

Tidus wrapped his fingers around the silver bars of the gates, and looked at her. She wrapped her own fingers around right below his, and she looked up at him.

"I couldn't kill you, you know," Tidus said, his eyes down at her.

"I know," Yuna said, and she swallowed loudly.

"But I have to," Tidus said. "I mean, I need to."

Yuna simply gave a slight nod.

"I want to kill your entire family," Tidus continued. "Your entire way of life…"

"I know."

"I have to," Tidus said, his voice cracking slightly.

"I know," Yuna simply said again.

With that, Tidus tore his hands off of the bar to her gate, and strutted off, leaving her there, watching until he disappeared from her sight.

**A/N: **Oh, and just in case you were wondering where in the world I got Sorin from, I actually used it in a story I wrote two years ago, and I've always liked it. It was the first name that popped into my head when I realized I had to have Tidus give a fake name. Also, I just wanted to point out that the 'f' in 'fated' is indeed supposed to be lower-case. Just in case you were wondering. XD


	3. The New, Shiny Pistol

Okay, here is chapter 3! I struggled_ a lot_ through this chapter, but I finally managed to finish it, and I think it's still halfway decent! Anyway, I'm off to a funeral this weekend, so I'm afraid that unless by some lucky chance there's internet at the place I'm staying, don't expect an update until Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm sorry about that.

In the meantime, enjoy!

**[EDIT Also, I fixed my little type-o. I'm sorry for the confusion!**

Chapter 3: The New, Shiny Pistol

Tidus couldn't believe it. He found himself wandering aimlessly around the streets of Bevelle, completely and utterly exhausted, and unable to think straight. He knew the wisest thing to do would be to return to his district, and find his building, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

He knew his life could end at any second. After all, he'd told Yuna, the daughter of Braska, who was, as everybody and anybody knew, the leader of New Yevon, ruler of Bevelle and all other territories, that he was a member of the Youth League. How he'd managed to lose himself _that_ much and let it slip was beyond him. What was even more beyond him was the fact that he'd managed to let both Baralai and Yuna out of his grasp in less than twenty-four hours. True, Baralai was a lost cause from the beginning, but there would never be such a perfect moment to kill Yuna again.

He found himself laughing. Perhaps if he'd just been put on the unit to kill Yuna to begin with he would have been able to kill her. Although, Tidus knew in his gut, that if he was face-to-face with Yuna again, he wouldn't be able to kill her.

Her smile hadn't left his mind. He could still see her beautiful eyes, her amazing smile… it was all still so clear in his mind. Everything managed to come together when he thought about it. Of course he should have known where Rosemary District was. It was the official name of the imperial district, obviously. Of course he should have known that a girl asking where it was as naively as Yuna was was probably somehow involved with New Yevon. In fact, most people must have recognized Yuna.

Tidus felt like an idiot. A true and utter idiot. The problem was, he didn't feel like an idiot because he had told Yuna of his alliance with the Youth Leauge. Instead, he felt like an idiot because as much as he tried to deny it to himself, he knew he had managed to grow quite attached to Yuna in such a little amount of time.

Perhaps that had been her plan.

As the city began to grow dark, Tidus finally managed to somehow wander back into the merchant district, and to his surprise, found himself standing right in front of a large, cement door with the number '128' etched into it. Tidus wondered momentarily if he was supposed to knock, but he ended up just pushing the heavy door open.

He was even more surprised to find that the door led to a small, one-roomed apartment-type area that was completely deserted.

As he shut the door, he realized that the entire backside of the door was filled with locks and bolts, obviously for protection. He found an envelope sitting on the table, and he noticed immediately that it was written in a Youth League code that he'd spent months memorizing.

It said in big letters, in code, of course: DESTROY AFTER READING. Beside the envelope, laying almost innocently on the table, was a brand new, shiny pistol.

Tidus stared at the pistol for some time, before taking it. It was loaded, he realized. He took a deep breath, and shoved it into his jacket, before turning to the envelope.

Tidus opened the envelope quickly, and discovered a quick letter written by typewriter that had a listing of the Youth League code that he had already learned, as well as the enlightenment that he would be living by himself, and that this was to be his new home. It also told him that his room had no lock from the outside, so he was to leave no sign that anybody was living in that building. If anything at all happened that appeared suspicious, he was to go to leave and return to Luca, where he was to find the Youth League headquarters.Behind the letter was a wad of what Tidus took to be the currency in Bevelle. Tidus skimmed the letter a few times before starting a small fire in the fireplace and tossing it in.

With that, he made himself a bed out of the few blankets that were there, locked the door tightly, and fell into a very deep slumber.

-

Perhaps this job wouldn't be as easy as he thought. Tidus found himself wandering into the old decapitated café that Yuna had led him to the day before, unsure of what else to do.

He was slowly beginning to realize that he really didn't have much direction. He had no idea where the other members of his unit were, and for all he knew, they could have been killed trying to enter the city. As for the three that had entered safely, he had no idea where they were either.

The earlier feeling of loneliness came upon him again. He ordered the exact same thing that Yuna had ordered the day before, and ate it slowly, unsure of what else to do.

He tried to remember his directions. He was a spy. He was to live in Bevelle like a normal citizen, and just pick up what he could.

Tidus let out a low sigh. It was a joke mission, and he was sure of it. It was just a way for ten people like himself to do something without having to fight in Zanarkand. And Tidus was sure that Lulu and Wakka had pulled the strings to get him on this mission versus a typical foot-soldier mission.

Shaking his head, Tidus let out another sigh. Wakka and Lulu had done what they could to keep him off the battleground. The least he could do was make them proud. And at the current rate, he would be switching over to the New Yevon side in no time.

Tidus wrapped his hand tightly around the wooden glass that contained his water, and squeezed it tightly. How had he not killed Yuna?

He had dreamt of the scene over and over all through the night. There she was, on a completely empty street with no one around, completely caught off guard. All he would have to do was unsheathe his weapon—and at least he had gotten that far—and kill her. It would have been one, quick slash at her throat, and she would have been a goner.

And he a hero.

Why hadn't he been able to do it? Tidus looked at the ceiling, his eyes slightly blurry. The word _why_ replayed itself over and over in his head. He hadn't killed her, and he was still somehow alive. How had he managed to lose himself like he had? _How, why, how…_

Tidus was just finishing his last bite, when he suddenly felt as if someone was standing behind him. He went to turn around and look, only to feel soft hands cover his eyes.

Tidus felt his body go completely numb. He couldn't even fight it. He wondered if it would be just a matter of time before he felt a knife go through his throat.

"Aren't you even going to guess who it is?" he heard a woman's voice, a familiar voice. He heard a giggle then, and the hands dropped, and Yuna came into his view.

"Yu-Yuna!" Tidus said. "Yuna, what are you doing here?" His voice was much harsher than he was expecting it to be.

"You don't sound happy to see me," Yuna said, taking the seat across from him.

"Yuna, I told you who I am, right?" Tidus simply sneered.

"I guess you did…" Yuna said, her smile fading quickly.

"It's dangerous for you to be here," Tidus said. "I was just thinking of how I should have killed you."

"I know, I know," Yuna said. "It's just that I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Yuna," Tidus said, shaking his head quickly. "I…"

"It's just that, I had a friend like you once," Yuna said quickly. "He died a long time ago, but I… I don't know, you just really remind me of him."

Tidus opened his mouth to protest, but the waitress stomped up to them, and said, "I will not be having any political meetings in my restaurant, if that's alright with you."

"This isn't political," Yuna said, her tone rather angry.

"We can go somewhere else," Tidus said, although he had no idea where they would go.

"Where?" Yuna hissed at him.

"Anywhere but here would be marvelous," the waitress said. "I understand who you are, Lady Yuna, but if your father comes knocking…"

Yuna looked at Tidus, and then back at the waitress, before she let out a low sigh, and stood up. She threw some coins on the table, and said, "If he was to come knocking, don't tell him we were here, alright?"

The lady looked at the coins, smiled, and said, "Of course not. I've never seen the Lady Yuna in my life…"

Yuna took Tidus' wrist and pulled him out the door, before dropping it quickly.

"Now what?" she questioned him, her voice just above a whisper.

"Yuna…" Tidus simply said, shaking his head. "You got back to Rosemary District, and I'll go back to my own district. That's what."

"Surely there's a reason you haven't killed me yet," Yuna said, and she gave Tidus a slight pout.

"Don't push you luck."

Yuna smiled and said, "Can't we just talk?"

"Is this your idea of suicide, Yuna?"

"Go ahead," Yuna said then, stretching her arms out. "Go ahead and slash me in two. Go ahead, Sorin."

Tidus was squinting at her, but his features immediately rested as soon as he heard her say 'Sorin'. She really didn't even know his real name…

"You're rather naïve, aren't you?" Tidus said, and he remembered Wakka and Lulu's words on the leader Braska's daughter. She was nineteen and naïve, they had said. Tidus bit his lip softly. He was naïve too, they had pointed out.

"I've been told that," Yuna said, her eyes on the ground. She took a deep breath, and then let it out loudly through her mouth. "I don't… get out much, as I'm sure you can tell."

"So why are you out now?" Tidus questioned. "To see if you can stumble upon someone like me? Someone who is going to end up killing themselves over the fact that they can't kill you."

Yuna looked up at him, her eyes seeming larger than usual. Tidus wondered if it was some kind of trick she had. He was beginning to think she was a seductress, or something of the sort. The kind of girl who lulls a guy to bed, only to slash their neck.

"It's not your mission to kill me, is it?" Yuna asked, eying him suspiciously.

"Well… not entirely," Tidus admitted.

"Then what's the harm?" Yuna asked, throwing on a smile. "But we can't talk about this anymore here…"

Tidus shook his head, and then said, "Wait, I know where!" He smiled at her and started north, with Yuna following behind him with a puzzled expression across her face.

"Sorin…" she said, following him closely. "We're getting dangerously near to Rosemary, don't you think?"

"Right there," Tidus said, ignoring him. "We can talk in that blitz arena."

Yuna stopped next to him, and said, "That's perfect!" She smiled at him and started toward the destroyed blitzball stadium, with Tidus following closely at her heels, wondering with each step he took what he was doing.

Yuna stopped upon reaching the door though, and let out an exasperated sigh. "It's locked."

"No problem!" Tidus said. "Do you have a bobby pin or something?"

Yuna reached into her hair, and pulled out a thin bobby pin, which she handed to Tidus. He quickly shoved the pin into the lock, and smiled at her and said, "You wouldn't believe the things they teach at basic training."

"Basic training…?" Yuna questioned, just as the lock clicked open.

Tidus simply smiled and handed her the bobby pin, despite the fact that it was completely bent out of shape. Yuna simply stared after him as he opened the door and walked inside.

Blinking a few times, Yuna quickly followed him, and shut the door behind her.

"Wow, look at this place…" she mused, as she walked into what was probably once the lobby of the arena.

"Yeah, look at it…" Tidus said, shaking his head. "You know, I always thought that if we only lived in a time of peace, I'd play blitz or something."

"So it's true, huh…" Yuna mumbled. "You really are with the Youth League."

"Yeah, it's true," Tidus said, and again he felt his eyes go cold. She was with New Yevon! What was stopping him from killing her? However, he found himself biting his tongue. He'd just told her what was for sure his biggest secret.

"Yuna," he said softly. "How can I trust that you won't betray me?"

Yuna gave him a sweet smile, and she said, "The same way I can trust you."

"But what if you can't trust me?" Tidus questioned. "I mean, Yevon, this is so perfect! I could kill you right here in the empty place, and no one would ever know!"

"And I could have my army of Yevonites surround us right now, and take you," Yuna said, crossing her arms.

Tidus just laughed, despite the fact that it wasn't a laughing matter, and said, "I guess it's a good thing I'm not going to kill you then, huh?"

Yuna laughed as well, but her smile faded quickly. "It's strange that we met, isn't it?"

Tidus wanted to respond that it was stranger that she was still living, but he didn't. He simply nodded.

"Out of all the people I could have asked for directions, why did I ask you?" Yuna continued to muse. "Out of all the people, and I picked you, the member of the Youth League. But you…"

"I was going to ask you for directions too," Tidus said quickly. The more he thought about it, the stranger it did seem. "To be honest, I was beginning to think that you were a fellow Youth Leaguer, and that you were testing me or something…"

Yuna laughed, and said, "And I just thought you were Al Bhed or something…"

"Is that why you trust me?" Tidus questioned then, remembering that Yuna had shared the day before that she was Al Bhed. "Did you think I was a lost family member or something?"

"Well, I wondered that," Yuna said, shrugging. "But I honestly had no idea. I just knew there was something about you. It's weird and I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like we've met before. I just can't place it… Do you feel that way at all?"

Tidus shook his head. "I was raised at the Youth League's headquarters," he explained, his face stone-like.

"You must be on some top-secret mission, huh?" Yuna asked, and she swallowed loudly. "I suppose you can't share it with me?"

"I'm on a joke mission," Tidus said, rolling his eyes. "That's all. It's just a way for my friends to keep me off the front lines."

Tidus knew he couldn't trust her, despite the fact that she made it apparent that she trusted him. Even so, he felt the weight of loneliness slowly being lifted off of him. Talking about and sharing that he was in the Youth League made him truly believe he had a friend.

Even so, he knew he wasn't supposed to be making friends with the enemy.

"Yuna, we can't keep seeing each other," Tidus said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Yuna asked, a sly smile forming on her lips.

Tidus looked at her and shook his head, although he smiled also. "Is this all just a big joke to you?"

Yuna's smile disappeared, and she shook her head. "I guess it probably seems that way, doesn't it?"

"Well think about it," Tidus said, shrugging. "If anyone on your side figured out we were meeting, I'd be killed." Yuna opened her mouth to protest, but Tidus ignored her and continued. "And if anybody on my side found out, we'd both be killed. Either way, I'm a goner."

"I wouldn't let them kill you!" Yuna said as soon as he finished talking. "After all, I owe you, don't I? You could kill me right now if you wanted to."

"I just don't understand why you're willing to risk your life like this," Tidus said, shaking his head.

"You're risking your life too, are you not?" Yuna simply said.

Tidus laughed and said, "I don't have a lot to live for."

"Don't you have a family back home, awaiting your arrival?" Yuna questioned.

To this, Tidus suddenly felt his blood begin to boil angrily.

"No, I have no family," he said, glaring at her. "All thanks to the New Yevon scum."

"Oh… I'm sorry…" Yuna said, very softly.

"They killed my parents right in front of me, and would have killed me as well, if it wasn't for Nooj!" Tidus continued.

"Nooj? Oh, your leader…" Yuna mumbled. "I'm very sorry."

"Sure you are," Tidus said, shaking his head. "You're one of them."

"That's true," Yuna said. "But Sorin, haven't you ever thought about my side? Everything was peaceful until the Youth League bombed us. They are the ones who started it."

"That's not true!" Tidus said quickly. "You destroyed Zanarkand!"

"Stop saying 'you'!" Yuna cried. "Tidus, I had nothing to do with anything! Don't you realize that?"

"It doesn't matter, it was your father," Tidus said, shaking his head.

Yuna looked at the ground, her face looking rather sorrowful.

Tidus noticed this, and he instantly felt like taking his words back. Still, he couldn't.

"Yuna," Tidus said, shaking his head. "I don't think I'm a very trustworthy guy. Even if I don't kill you, that still doesn't mean that I'm not hoping your father dies."

"If you could just meet him…" Yuna said, trailing. "I'm sure you would find him to be a very nice guy."

"That could be true, but the second you tell him who I am, I doubt he'd be so nice," Tidus added quickly. He then shook his head and said, "I need to go."

"W-Wait!" Yuna called after him. "I…"

"You what, Yuna?" Tidus asked, turning to face her.

"I can't just let you walk away like this," Yuna said, and Tidus noticed her lip jutted out slightly in a stubborn pout. "I really think us meeting meant something!"

"Why would you want to toy around with danger like this?" Tidus said, his tone very severe. "I'm not sure I'm ready to."

"I…" Yuna trailed, and she let out a loud sigh. "I don't look at it like that. I'm not dangerous, Sorin, and I know you're not either!"

Tidus laughed despite himself. It was becoming humorous to hear her say Sorin. As his laughter faded, his smile remained. He was sure she really did believe that his name was Sorin.

Tidus took a deep breath and let out the air loudly, and said, "This is ridiculous, you realize…."

Yuna smiled at him and said, "Yes, I realize that completely."

"We can't be friends, Yuna. I can't be your fill in for your old friend." Tidus walked away from her, toward the door, and then turned around to face her again, his eyebrows pushed forward in confusion.

"Why," he started, a blank expression in his eyes, despite the obvious look of confusion, "am I always one to remind someone of their lost loved one? Am I always to just be a filler?"

Yuna cocked her head to the side in confusion, but she quickly erased that expression off of her face and said, "You're not just a filler!"

"Then what am I?" Tidus barked at her. "The only reason I'm here right now is because I reminded someone of their lost brother. So now what? You want me to convert to New Yevon so that I can take the place of some childhood friend you had?"

"No, that's not it at all!" Yuna cried. "If your loyalty lies with the Youth League, I am fine with that! I mean, only to an extent and all, but that's just because I have to look out for my own life! But otherwise, it means nothing to me. Nothing, do you understand that, Sorin?"

Tidus bit his lip hard to keep himself from yelling that his name wasn't Sorin, but that it was Tidus.

Yuna of course didn't notice this, and she continued, "What more do you want from me? I'm offering you my friendship! Why, I don't know, but I am! Perhaps it is because you remind me of my old friend, but I trust you, Sorin. I trust you with every ounce of me!"

"Prove it," Tidus said then, his eyes cold.

Yuna swallowed hard, and said, "Fine, I will."

Tidus laughed and said, "How will you do that?"

With her face firm, Yuna swallowed hard and said, "I will take you into the imperial palace of Bevelle, the headquarters of your enemies."

Tidus' face fell. _What?_

"I will introduce you to my father," Yuna continued.

Tidus found himself biting his lip hard, hard enough that he could taste blood in his mouth. He walked quickly up to Yuna so that he was standing over her, looking down. She looked back up at him, a determined expression across her face.

"Why am I so worth putting yourself and your father in danger?" Tidus asked through clenched teeth.

Without faltering, Yuna responded, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Tidus asked, shaking his head. "What if I can't be trusted, Yuna? You can trust me all you want, but I assure you the second I see your father, I will pull out a shiny new pistol and shoot him, just like his bastards did to my parents!"

"And then what?" Yuna questioned. "You'll shoot me too?"

"Or, I could do that right now," Tidus said, pulling the shiny pistol out. He cocked it and pressed it softly against Yuna's forehead.

Yuna stared at him, her mismatched eyes never blinking.

"Go ahead," Yuna said, her voice not quivering at all. "Go ahead and shoot me. It is your perfect opportunity, after all."

Tidus simply stared at her, his eyes intent on hers.

"What are you waiting for?" Yuna asked, seemingly edging him on.

Tidus shook his head, and pulled the pistol away, and tucked it back inside of his jacket.

"This is it, got it?" he said, walking toward the door again. "This is goodbye."

"Sorin!" he heard Yuna call after him. He simply ignored her, slamming the old door shut behind him.


	4. Moment

Luckily, the hotel I'm at has internet access, so here I am, at eight in the morning, putting this chapter up. It's my shortest chapter yet, but it was one of those chapters where I just felt like I couldn't elongate it, and I felt like I had to end it where it ended.

Also, I aplogize for my little 'typeo' in my last chapter. It was a pretty bad one, too... I'm afraid I didn't get anytime to reread it, for by the time I finally struggled through chapter 3, I had to quickly post it before I left. (Haha, I know, I know, so many excuses!) And this one may be full of errors too, because I wrote it in the car. Haha.

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 4: Moment

He was running. His eyes were glowing, and he was running quickly. Happiness floated around him, a very, very unfamiliar feeling. He had no idea where he was, but he felt familiar and at home with his surroundings.

In one quick motion, he turned the corner, only to lose his footing and fall, slamming hard into the bronzed wall.

He felt tears begin to well up in his eyes, and the happiness slowly began to fade. He felt a hand on his shoulder then, and he turned around to look into two very caring mismatched eyes. He knew somewhere inside of him that the eyes belonged to Yuna, but she was much younger. She held her hand out to him, and said, "Let me help you."

With that, Tidus' eyes flung open, and he had to blink a few times before he realized that he had just awoken from a dream. It was just a dream.

Tidus stood up. His room was so small and cold, without any windows. He had no idea what time it was. He saw light filtering in through his door though, and he knew he'd slept in much too long.

The dream was bothering him. It was very rare that he had a dream outside of his memory of his parents. Why was Yuna of all people appearing in his dreams now?

Tidus shook his head a few times to clear it. He had to stop thinking about Yuna. It had been three days since he'd last seen her, three very lonely and boring days. He was beginning to feel as if Bevelle was far more treacherous and hostile than the front in Zanarkand was. At least in Zanarkand, he'd have friends, teammates. Here, it was him versus the world.

He had attempted to find other members of the Youth League, but when it was impossible for him himself to share his identity, he knew that it was impossible for others. Every person he passed in the streets, he wondered if they were a member of the Youth Leauge like he. And as they passed, he knew he'd never find out. He also knew that he'd never be able to share his secret, even if they shared there's with him, in fear that it would be a trap.

The only person he could tell was Yuna.

He knew she hadn't told anybody. If she had, he knew they would have found him. He passed countless Yevonites, and each time he passed them, it took all he had to keep himself from showing fear. If Yuna were to betray him, he would die in an instant.

As the loneliness and hostility of Bevelle grew, Tidus began to realize what a true mistake it had been to leave Yuna the way he'd left her. She was completely trusting of him, and he was sure of that. He wouldn't have survived as long as he had if it hadn't been for her.

The true question was whether or not she could really trust him. At times, Tidus was sure it was that that was keeping him away from her. In his gut, he knew he didn't want to betray her trust. He knew he had to though. It was his mission, his only goal in life.

And so he was torn. It bothered him that he couldn't choose between his life goal and a girl he had just met.

Being raised by the Youth League, though, Tidus had learned to value friendships, for he knew that in a world like the one he lived in, that friend could very well be gone the next day, dead. He knew that he could hear word at any time that Wakka and Lulu were dead. He had lost many of his childhood friends to the war as it was.

He also wasn't used to being alone. He wanted somebody with him, anybody. Someone he could trust, while surrounded by people who wanted to kill him. That was what he needed.

And Yuna was the answer.

He had no idea how to get her attention, though, or how to find her. She had always found him. True, he knew where she lived, but he doubted he could just walk up to the palace and ask for Yuna.

He spent most of his time wandering the streets of Bevelle, hoping that by some chance, he would run into the only familiar face he knew.

It wasn't long before a week passed. The city grew more and more familiar, and Tidus dreamt of Yuna every night. Always she was younger, a mere child. He seemed to be a child as well, and a very klutzy one at that.

The more he dreamt of her, the more he dreaded to see her.

One day, perhaps out of desperation, he found himself marching up to the silver gates that blocked him from her, where he stood, hoping that she'd somehow see him. It shocked him how the area was always so desolate, and so very unprotected. He wondered if it was difficult to sneak in. Still, despite how much he wanted to see her, he knew he couldn't exactly risk his life.

As the days went by, he grew less and less hopeful. He began to question his mission more and more, wondering what he was doing and why he wasn't in Zanarkand.

Slowly, Tidus lost hope. It had been a full two weeks since he'd seen Yuna, and he was beginning to truly realize the difficulty of finding her. The city was large, and chances were, she probably didn't leave her place too often.

He was still alive, still able to pass through the streets without any suspicion, so he knew his secret was still with Yuna, unspoken of.

Or at least, so he thought.

As he walked past the ruins of the blitzball stadium, the place he had last seen Yuna, a Yevonite guard suddenly turned his attention to Tidus, and walked up to him. Tidus' instinct was to run, but he knew he'd seem suspicious. So he simply took a deep breath and continued walking, straight toward the guard.

He expected to pass right by the guard, but to his surprise, the guard turned to face him, and grabbed him forcefully by the shoulder.

"You're to come with me," he said, his voice hoarse and rough. Tidus' eyes opened wide, and he was so full of shock that he couldn't fight the guard.

The guard was quite a bit taller than Tidus was, and quite a bit larger. Tidus thought about the pistol that he kept concealed, as well as the knife, but he couldn't make any movement toward his weapons.

The guard kept a tight hold on Tidus and led him around the corner, until the silver gates were in sight. Tidus gulped. He was taking him straight to the New Yevon headquarters.

The guard released Tidus with one hand and slid a card through, opening the gate, and then continued to pull Tidus through.

Fear really began to fill Tidus as he saw the silver gates close, locking him inside of the imperial palace of New Yevon.

The guard then wrapped around to the side, and entered a side door.

He pushed Tidus into a small, gold-plated room, and said, "Wait here."

He shut the door then, leaving Tidus all alone in the small room. The room was completely gold, with red flooring. There was a large piano in the room, with some chairs, but that was it.

Tidus finally managed to reach his senses, and he grabbed his knife, deciding there had to be a way out of the room. He ran to one of the doors that was opposite of the one the guard had disappeared into and slowly turned the handle, with his knife out, ready to attack.

He opened it slowly, only to let out a soft yell. On the other side of the door stood Yuna, with a quite confused expression across her face.

"Yuna?" Tidus said, lowering the knife quickly.

She laughed and said, "I guess I should have known you'd be resistant."

"Huh?" Tidus just said. Yuna ignored him and pushed him back into the room, and shut the door quickly.

She then laughed at the look of confusion across his face and said, "I'm sorry, did that whole ordeal frighten you?"

"Just a little," Tidus said, his eyes hard on her. Was this some kind of a joke? He had to really work though to keep his expression stone-like. He couldn't deny that he was happy to see her. He was truly fighting a smile.

"I've had that guard on the lookout for you for weeks it seems!" Yuna said, her eyes bright. "I have to talk to you."

Tidus decided to play it cool, despite the fact that he was experiencing mixed feelings. He was happy to see Yuna again, but he wasn't at all comfortable in the New Yevon headquarters.

"About what?" Tidus replied, although he tone wasn't quite as calm as he'd hoped it would be.

"I kept your secret," Yuna said, her voice low. "And now I've brought you here. I trust you, and I think you should trust me too."

"But what?" Tidus asked, turning away from her. He bit his lip. He had to just give in. He knew he needed her more than she needed him.

"I want to be friends," Yuna finally said, that smile again on her face.

Tidus took a deep breath, and he nodded, saying, "I want to be friends too."

Yuna appeared shocked that he was so quick to comply, but she regained herself and smiled again.

"In that case, would you like a tour?" she asked, her grin seeming to light up the room.

Tidus could only smile at her, and he looked away from her and said, "Now, honestly, do you think it's wise to show me how to easily get around this place?"

"Now Sorin," Yuna said, standing near to him, "do you really think me to be stupid? I'm not about to show you the places that even I'm not allowed in."

"So in other words, I just get to see the 'homey' aspects of the imperial palace?" Tidus asked. Momentarily, he had wondered if he should tell Yuna his real name, but he bit it back, deciding that he wasn't going to give her his name. Sorin, he decided, could be with Yuna. He smiled at the thought. It was much easier to swallow the idea of Sorin being a traitor.

"Yes, the most interesting aspects!" Yuna said, laughing. She led him to the door that she had come in through, the door that earlier he had hoped would be his escape route.

The halls Yuna led him through were mostly vacant and very wide and spacious. Tidus' eyes were wide, for he'd never seen such a large place, not even the few times that he'd been in the Youth League's headquarters.

"What are all of these halls used for?" Tidus asked, shaking his head.

"Nothing much," Yuna said. "When I was younger, I used to run through them, playing an endless array of games."

"By yourself?" Tidus asked, looking around. "Or do you have friends."

Yuna's eyes dimmed noticeably, and she said, "Actually, it's not often I go through these halls. They're full of memories."

"Unhappy memories?" Tidus questioned, unsure of what she meant.

She smiled at his naïve question, and shook her head. "Happy memories, actually."

"Then why do you avoid them?" Tidus questioned. It hit him then, and he said, "Oh… they remind you of your friend?"

Yuna smiled. "He was quite wild, really. He was my most trusted friend."

"What exactly happened to him?" Tidus questioned.

Yuna looked at him for quite some time, before she finally said, "I'd rather not discuss it right now."

With that as her final word, Yuna led Tidus out a large, heavy door, and he was welcomed by a blast of fresh air. He realized that she had led him to a very, very large balcony, with a beautiful view of the city below him.

"Wow, what a view," Tidus mused, and he walked quickly to the edge, eager to see all there was to see.

"I spend most of my time up here," Yuna said, and she let out a giggle. "It wasn't until recently that I started to leave the palace, you know. In fact, the day I first met you was my first day out of these confining walls without a guard at my side."

"And you have no friends?" Tidus questioned.

Yuna shook her head. "I always thought my friend and I could grow up together, but even so, I knew that as soon as we reached the right age, he'd be off to military training." She suddenly snapped her attention to Tidus, and she said, "You've heard of Baralai, correct?"

Tidus instantly looked at her, his mouth agape.

"Of course I've heard of him," he sneered.

"My friend," Yuna said, choosing to ignore the hatred in Tidus' tone, "was to be the one granted Baralai's position, as his father had it before him."

Tidus let out a laugh, and he said, "So if I were standing here right now, I'd be scoffing at your friend instead of Baralai."

"Yes, I suppose you would," Yuna said. "But Baralai tries. I mean, he knows of my friend, and he tries to take his place. He's always very kind and courteous around me, but he's… he's really no fun."

Tidus laughed again, and said, "What, is he stiff?"

"Quite so!" Yuna said, laughing along with Tidus. "I was surprised when my father appointed him, to tell you the truth, because of his affiliations with your leader."

"He's a traitor," Tidus said, all traces of laughter disappearing from his face.

"What do you mean?" Yuna questioned, looking confused.

"Ah, so he hasn't told you?" Tidus questioned, shaking his head. "He was one of Nooj's—you know, our leader—best and most trusted friends. But he betrayed him to come here."

"What?" Yuna said, a confused smile on her face. "Nooj betrayed us, for your information."

"Nooj didn't betray anybody," Tidus said, shaking his head too.

To his surprise, Yuna's face suddenly turned violent, and she said, "He did too! My father trusted him! My friend's family trusted him! And he turned on us and he…" Yuna shook her head to signify that she wasn't going to continue. She faced forward, refusing to face Tidus.

Tidus felt his blood boil at their argument, and he said, "Nooj is the reason I'm alive right now."

"How ironic," Yuna scoffed, crossing her arms angrily. "Nooj is the reason my friend is dead."

Tidus turned to face her, just in time to see a tear slipping quickly down her face. She brushed it off hastily, and crossed her arms again, refusing to look at Tidus.

"I'm sorry," Tidus said, quickly. "About your friend and all. But I owe my life to Nooj. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here now."

Yuna faced him, and she nodded quickly.

"I'm sorry too, for getting all teary." She laughed then, and said, "I guess it's just that… it's one of those things I'll probably never get over."

"I understand," Tidus said, nodding. "I'll never forgive New Yevon for what happened to my parents."

"At least we have something in common," she said, a smile prying on her lips. "We've both lost someone dear."

Tidus laughed and said, "Yeah, I guess that's right."

He found himself matching her gaze then, his mind seeming to turn to mush. As soon as he caught himself, he blushed and looked away, and she did the same.

Yuna finally gave a nervous little giggle, the same as she had the day they'd first met. Awkward silence fell upon the two then, before Yuna finally took a deep breath and said, "I'm glad the guard found you. I… I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

"The truth is," Tidus said, shocked that he could so easily find his voice, "that I was looking for you when the guard found me. I mean, never did I think that the guard was bringing me here on your order, but… I'm sorry for walking out on you like I did in the arena."

"Apology accepted," Yuna said, her smile returning. A gentle breeze blew gently around the two, pulling their hair along with it. Yuna smiled a nervous little smile at Tidus, her eyes meeting his.

Silence fell over the two again, and Tidus noticed that Yuna kept looking up at him, and then blushing, and he found himself doing the same. What was she waiting for?

"Sorin…" Yuna started, her voice soft. "I really like you." She breathed those final words very quickly, blushing feverishly as she did so. Tidus stood there, partly taken over by shock, and partly unsure of what to do. He felt his heart speed up, and his stomach seemed to squish together. His mind quickly told him that _Sorin_could do whatever he pleased.

The breeze seemed to stop, and everything was silent. It was as if the whole world was waiting for Tidus' reply.

"I really like you too," he said, his voice lower than he'd meant it to be, his body suddenly acting without reason.

He walked up quickly to her, and in one simple moment—and he was sure neither he nor Yuna was thinking—his lips met Yuna's, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist while hers went around his shoulders.

It was almost a kiss of desperation, as if they'd been waiting years to express their feelings for each other, and as if they were afraid that this moment was their only chance.

It wasn't until they heard footsteps that they broke.

Tidus retreated instantly upon the sound, although he noticed that Yuna seemed hesitant, almost, perhaps because she didn't want to find out who had stumbled upon them, or perhaps because she truly hadn't wanted the moment to end.

As Tidus' eyes wrapped around behind him, his blood instantly began to boil. There, with the moonlight shining wonderfully on his platinum hair, stood Baralai.

Instantly, Tidus' hand found his pistol, but before he could remove it from its place, he heard Yuna's breath in his ear, begging him. "Please Sorin, this isn't the time."

She then completely separated from him, and said, "Hello Baralai."

Baralai seemed a little shocked, for it took him a moment before he was able to respond.

"Hello, Lady Yuna," he seemed to finally manage. "It's a lovely evening, isn't it?"

Tidus' breathing was growing rushed. This was his second meeting with Baralai, and he knew that it would be the second time that Baralai would be able to escape.

Baralai's eyes met Tidus' then, and he squinted, recognition lighting his face—recognition that Tidus did not desire to have.

"Where have I met you before?" he asked, his expression of doubt, as if he was unsure of whether or not he'd actually ever seen Tidus or not.

"I'm certain you two have never met," Yuna said hastily. "This is Sorin, and he's…"

"Just a friend," Tidus said quickly. "I should be leaving. I still need to visit the ruins." He turned to leave quickly, praying that Yuna understood the hidden message in his last words, and that she would find him in the ruins of the blitzball arena. He would sleep there if he needed to.

He brushed quickly past Baralai, feeling somewhat guilty for leaving Yuna to cover herself.

Quickly, he found his way to the door, surprised at his ability to navigate through the large palace. He quickly exited through the same door that he had been brought into, and disappeared into the night, heading straight for the blitzball ruins, hoping that Baralai wouldn't be able to tie Yuna up too much.

And someday, he vowed as he made his way through the surprisingly empty streets, he would have Baralai's blood.


	5. Masked

Okay, typically I like to update in the morning, but for today, that just wasn't possible. Ugh, it's been one of those days... and my wireless internet isn't working (who KNOWS what's up with that!) so I was worried I wouldn't get this up at all today! But I did, so no worries!

Anyway, this chapter is by far the _longest _chapter I have ever posted on this site by far. It spanned nine pages and is almost 5,000 words. (In fact, it probably will be 5,000 words by the time I get done typing my intro!) I honestly could not find a place to stop, and so much had to happen in this chapter!

Also, I'll have to apologize in advance for any type-os. I wrote the first part of this chapter in the car and I didn't finish it until 2:30 AM! So yeah, I was up pretty late writing it. But I do usually write my best stuff late at night, so...

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Masked

Tidus did end up staying the entire night at the old, destroyed blitzball arena. He waited for a long time, until his eyes literally couldn't stay open any longer. He fell asleep on the hard stone beneath him, and pieces of the rubble dug into his skin. He didn't seem to notice though, for all he played in his mind was that kiss, over and over.

The lingering feeling of her lips on his was enough to lull him to sleep, enough to make him forget that with just two pulls of a trigger, he could have had both the leader's daughter and the commander-in-chief dead, and possibly still have made it out alive.

He didn't understand it, and he figured he never would. It was beyond him how years of wanting and desire for vengeance could turn over because of one kiss. It hadn't even taken a kiss, but that was enough to seal the deal. At least for the time being.

Tidus awoke after dreaming of those mismatched eyes once again, only this time, as his vision came into focus to the dim glow of morning, those mismatched eyes were still there, watching him.

Her smile lit her face as he came to and sat up, and he smiled back at her. She was sitting just inches away from him, with her knees pulled up against her chest, her eyes seeming to glitter along with her smile.

"Good morning," she greeted him cheerfully, as he stretched, still unable to find his voice after the hours of sleep.

"Good morning," he managed back. He rubbed his eyes quickly, but he was waking up. All the memories from the night before returned to him, and he smiled back at her.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to come," Yuna then said quickly. "Baralai was full of questions, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"What did you tell him?" Tidus asked, remembering the reality of Baralai discovering him.

"I told him that you were just some guy that I'd been corresponding with, which is the truth," Yuna explained. "And I told him that my feelings toward you were extraordinarily complicated and that I didn't feel like discussing it any further for the time being."

"Is that the truth too?" Tidus questioned, a slight smirk on his mouth. "Your feelings are complicated?"

"Well, we are a rather complicated bunch, don't you think?" Yuna asked. "It's not as simple as 'I like you' now, is it?"

"No, it's not," Tidus agreed, shaking his head.

Yuna gave him a small smile, which instantly disappeared. Then, she swallowed loudly and said, "Baralai told me that in that case, I should just forget about you, because it doesn't seem to him as if you'd be willing to do me any favors."

"What?" Tidus said, looking confused.

"I think he meant that…" Yuna paused, and glanced up at Tidus, before continuing, "that you're not very serious about me."

Tidus opened his mouth to say something, but Yuna quickly cut him off.

"He said," Yuna continued, her voice somewhat breathless, "that I had to remember my place in society and that there was no way I could be serious with a guy like you. He went on to call you a player and said that I need to be careful as to whom I'm seen with."

"Do you think he knows who I am?" Tidus asked, feeling confused.

"No, I don't think he has any idea," Yuna said, her eyes downcast. "I think he's jealous."

"Jealous?" Tidus said. "Why would he be jealous?"

"Because," Yuna said, her eyes meeting Tidus' face very fleetingly, "my father wants me to marry Baralai."

The words hit Tidus rather hard. He felt as if she'd just picked up a large piece of rubble and thrown it at him, hitting him straight in the gut.

Reading this, Yuna said quickly, "But of course it's my decision who I marry!"

"But Baralai's on your side," Tidus said quickly.

Yuna gave Tidus a rather shocked pout, as if surprised that he had said what he'd said.

"Baralai's who you could be with right now if I hadn't come and made everything so confusing. Maybe he's right, too. Maybe it is foolish to spend time with me. Who knows, I could be gone tomorrow."

"You could leave?" Yuna questioned, her eyes wide.

"Well yeah. Who knows how long they'll keep me here. I could be here for years, I guess, or I could leave today. I won't know until the day comes. But I don't want you to grow too attached to me… and to be honest, I don't want to allow myself to grow any closer to you, too. And not only that, Yuna, but think about it! If Baralai or your father, or anybody for that matter finds out who I am, I'll be killed."

Yuna sat there, sinking the reality in. Tidus knew she wanted to argue against his reasoning, but her mind didn't seem to be thinking of anyway to do so.

"And you'd be in so much trouble as well," Tidus continued.

Yuna smiled then and said, "No, not necessarily. A-And I could get you out of it. I honestly think I could, Sorin."

"No, Yuna," Tidus said then, taking her hands, "listen, I'm… I'm willing to risk my life for you, okay? But I don't need you risking yours, okay?"

"Well that's awfully selfish of me, isn't it?" Yuna asked. "I'm willing to risk my life for you too!"

"I can be foolish, Yuna," Tidus said very quickly, "I have nothing to live for anymore anyway."

"And what do I have to live for?" Yuna asked, shaking her head. "I've lost everything that was ever dear to me, too, Sorin."

"You have a father, a life, Yuna. Your greatest desire isn't to go shoot as many people as you can, to make them feel the same pain your parents felt!"

"My father is very distant, Tidus. He has been since the death of my mother, who, allow me to share, was killed by the Youth League. His closest friends died also at the hands of the Youth League. As was my closest friend. What does that give me? I spend my days reading, locked up in that large, empty, sorrowful place, unable to have friends, unable to live a normal life."

"So now you've decided to toy with danger and hang out with me?" Tidus questioned.

"Yes," Yuna said. "And I will risk my life too if needed." She smiled very wide then and said, "I think this is fated, don't you? We had a fateful meeting, a fateful beginning…"

"And we'll have a fateful ending," Tidus finished for her. "But how happy can a fateful ending be? It sounds tragic, to me."

"Tragic or happy, I'll take it, as long as it has to do with you," Yuna said, looking proud of herself.

"You're braver than I am," Tidus said, shaking his head. "I fear tragedies."

Yuna smiled warmly at him, and just shrugged and said, "I've learned to deal with them. They're all anybody knows these days."

"So even if I were to up and leave one day, you'd be okay with that?" Tidus asked.

"Yes," Yuna said. "I'd just cherish the time we had together, like I do with my friend."

"Makes sense to me," Tidus said, shrugging. He was growing tired of thinking of the perfect way to work this out, and he decided it was time to stop thinking about it. He had to try to do what Yuna seemed to be doing: he just had to think about now, not later. Later would come soon enough, and he could worry about it then.

"I've always wanted a forbidden romance," Yuna said softly, and with that, her lips were on his, the tender kiss seeming to light up the otherwise bleak remnants of what was once a great stadium.

-

Tidus began spending more time sleeping. Yuna found it easiest to sneak out at the oddest hours of the night, usually very, very early in the morning. Tidus spent time sleeping in the old blitzball stadium, hoping he was safe there. He suspected the typical citizen still thought it was locked tight, not the meeting spot for the city's own Romeo and Juliet.

Yuna had brought him blankets and had made him a little bed. She'd also dressed up the little room, the lobby of the stadium, with potted flowers. She'd swept the floor and cleaned it up, turning it into a nice little place for them to meet. Especially since the two had decided it wisest for Tidus to not go back to the palace, at least until Baralai left for Kilika, which was to be soon enough.

In the meantime, Yuna had told Baralai that Tidus had left to fight in Zanarkand, for New Yevon, of course, and that she was over him, never to see him again. Baralai had happily swallowed this piece of information and questioned the matter no further.

As it got closer and closer to Baralai's departure, however, Yuna was able to visit less and less.

There was to be a ceremony to say farewell to Baralai, despite the fact that he would more than likely be returning in just a matter of months. As Yuna explained to Tidus, the party of New Yevon was throwing a large feast in the palace's banquet hall, and Baralai had asked her to be his escort. She'd laughed at Tidus' expression upon hearing that, assuring him that she felt nothing toward Baralai, but that she couldn't exactly turn him down. She'd explained to Tidus that she had a lot of preparing to be done for the banquet, something he understood very little of. She'd explained the gown she was wearing to him, how she'd had to spent hours getting it sized. She'd explained that she was in charge of decorations for the banquet, and that her father had asked her to choose the course for the feast for the night.

Tidus listened to her as she discussed the planning for the festivities to celebrate Baralai, basically, and Tidus listened, but it hurt him to hear about it. Yuna came less and less, and stayed for shorter and shorter amounts of time.

It bothered him to know that Yuna was playing both sides. He of course couldn't blame her for doing it, especially since his side wasn't her side, but the thought of her on Baralai's arm was too much to bear. He was the _enemy_, after all, perhaps even more so than her father.

Tidus couldn't say anything bad about Baralai, either. Yuna talked as if he was a martyr, as if he was the best man to grace Spira. Which of course made Tidus angry, and rather jealous. Yuna always was sure to assure Tidus that she was not anything greater than a friend with Baralai, but her words only reassured him a tad.

But Tidus refused to let on that he was upset by the news. Besides, he decided it would be best to be passive in the relationship. He couldn't expect much out of it, after all. He tried to think of it as just playing Yuna, just making her think he cared about her, despite the fact that he knew that wasn't the case. Still, it made it a little more tolerable thinking of the relationship in that light as Yuna talked about something funny that Baralai, his largest enemy, had done.

It was hard to see him as a _person_, after all.

Tidus was lying on his stomach with his head resting in his arms, and Yuna was sitting straight up, with her knees hugged to her chest as she usually did, talking excitedly the day before the festival.

"The ballroom's all lit up!" she exclaimed happily, a smile across her face. "And here's the greatest thing! Baralai decided that we should make it more like a party rather than a festival, because he's super modest and doesn't want it to be all about him. So he's made it into a masked party!"

"A masked party?" Tidus questioned, for he honestly had no idea what it was. The idea of a 'party' in general was a new one to him.

Yuna tucked her lip under her front teeth in a smile, and nodded. She looked silly, but Tidus got the impression that it was because she was hiding an exciting piece of information.

Because of this impression, Tidus sat up slowly, and sat there, resting on his knees, and cocked his head to the side slightly, his mouth slightly agape as if he was fighting back the words to ask her what she meant by her smile.

Yuna finally burst and said, "Okay, I've got this great idea!"

Tidus laughed and sat back, shaking his head, his smile remaining after the laughter faded.

"Since it's a mask party, I want you to come too!" Yuna said, her smile very wide. "You see, Sorin, a masked party is basically when you cover your face with a mask! So we'll put you in one that will completely disguise you! No one will know it's you, and then you can be there with me!"

"Yuna, that's too much trouble," Tidus said, shaking his head, his smile turning to a confused one. "Besides, Yuna… I hate Baralai. Okay? How am I going to go to a festival for him?"

Yuna took his hands in his and gave him a pout, and said, "Sorin, think about how much fun it will be."

"But you're Baralai's escort," Tidus said, looking away from her eyes.

"I know, but it'll be okay," Yuna said, still smiling. "after all, you can just ask me for a dance."

Tidus burst out in laughter then and shook his head.

"It's ridiculous and dangerous, Yuna," Tidus said, shaking his head. "And besides that, I don't know how to dance."

"I'll teach you!" Yuna said, her face full of hope. "Oh please Sorin? Please?"

"No," Tidus said, finding himself feeling amused at her begging.

"I think it's flawless!" she simply continued. "And it'll be so much grander with you there! I want to show you all the decorations I helped out with, and my gown! It's so gorgeous Sorin! I can even get you a tuxedo. You'd look so great in one!"

"A what?" Tidus just asked, frowning.

"Evening wear," Yuna just said with a smile. "It'd look nice on you."

"Yuna, I'm not going," Tidus said, shaking his head.

"Oh please, you know you want to go!" Yuna prodded. "After all, you can keep an eye on Baralai then. I know you're jealous that I'll be spending the entire evening with him."

"I am not jealous!" Tidus quickly said in denial.

"You are too! I can see it in your eyes," Yuna said, standing up. "I have to go, Sorin. Please agree to go?"

Tidus stared at her, his expression unsure. Finally, he sighed, and leaned backwards until he was resting on his elbows and said, "Fine, but if I die, know it's your fault."

Yuna smiled widely and threw herself next to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I'll bring you your attire for the party and explain all the details in a few hours!" she said, kissing him on the cheek. "I promise it'll be a great time!"

Tidus just smiled and shook his head. She jumped up, waved, and rushed out the door then, before he could change his mind.

He watched as she left, and his smile slowly faded. He had a feeling that no matter what, the next evening wouldn't go nearly as flawlessly as she seemed to think.

-

"Okay then, now place your hand behind my back, and I place my hand on your shoulder, and then you take my hand, just like this!" Yuna said happily, as she stood in front of Tidus, in waltz position. He simply scrunched his nose at her, and she laughed, for she knew he wasn't at all happy to be dressed in the itchy suit that she had found for him. She had slipped a black mask over his face and had giggled about how adorable he looked, and although she meant it as a compliment, he frowned at her words, and hadn't stopped frowning since.

"Now take a step forward—no, no, with the other foot!—okay, now I'll back up, and now we step to the side…"

"This is idiotic," Tidus said, glaring at her as she attempted to teach him how to dance. "I just won't dance with you."

"What if someone else asks you to dance?" Yuna asked, growing frustrated with his unwillingness to learn. "You can't turn them down, Sorin. It's not proper etiquette."

"I'm not going to dance with anybody but you!" Tidus declared, his face suddenly losing its frown in favor of a shocked expression.

Yuna laughed and said, "In that case, you'd better learn how to dance, so that I can dance with you!" She smiled widely at him, and continued to teach him.

He finally let out a sigh and complied, doing his best to learn the steps of the dance.

Yuna explained to him that the party would have very high security, but she could sneak him in easily. She was going to take him straight back and sneak him to the upstairs area, where he would be able to find his way to the ballroom easily, or so she assured him.

Her excitement made Tidus feel a little bit more at ease, but only a little. The thought of seeing Baralai sickened him. Especially because he knew he would be unable to do anything at this time. Unless he wanted to get killed.

He closed his eyes. Under normal circumstances, he'd be happy to die if it meant killing someone like Baralai. But he knew he couldn't do that. Not now that he had Yuna.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, her face suddenly full of concern.

"Yuna…" Tidus started, and he tried to decide whether or not he could share his distress with her. He finally decided that he really had no choice, so he said, "I'm not sure how I'll act, surrounded by all those Yevonites. I know it's hard to understand and all, but I_hate_them."

"I know, I know," Yuna said, looking sad. She smiled though and said, "Just pretend you like them. For me?"

Tidus found himself laughing. How foolish he was. Still, as he looked at her hopeful smile, he couldn't help but decide that he would pretend he liked them. For her. He was Sorin of Bevelle, after all.

"Come on," Yuna said then, taking his arm in her small hand. "Let's go!"

Tidus literally had to be pulled, but he finally gave in and followed. She smiled at him, and onward they went, with him still dressed for the party.

The streets were surprisingly silent as the sun slipped away, signaling that evening had begun.

Yuna led Tidus quickly to the gates, and then the two walked quickly toward the side door, where Tidus had entered with the guard weeks before.

Leading him quickly, Yuna practically ran up the stairs, and turned right into a small room.

"Okay, stay here for just an hour!" she said, seeming breathless.

"What if someone comes in here and finds me?" Tidus asked.

Yuna smiled and said, "See this on the handle? It's a lock." Yuna smiled smugly and turned it, and said, "In the meantime, I have to go get ready."

"Will I be able to find you with a mask on?" Tidus asked, looking almost fearful.

Yuna laughed and said, "I'm sure you will."

She kissed him then, gave him an excited smile, and walked out the door. Tidus sighed, and locked it behind her.

-

Tidus watched the clock tick. He had nothing better to do. He heard music below him, and he assumed it was from the party. He was beginning to feel nervous. He wouldn't be there with Yuna, and he would be surrounded by his biggest enemies, unable to lay a finger on them.

He left two minutes early, stepping slowly and nervously into the wide hallway. His eyes opened wide though, for he noticed that it was packed with people. People dressed like him.

He couldn't help but smile. He blended in perfectly.

Of course, there was a problem with so many people being there. How was he ever going to find Yuna? He calmed himself by telling himself that she was looking for him too.

He smiled at the thought and started down the stairway toward the music, only to stop. What if this was a trap? Tidus slowed his walk, his mind running fast.

In that case, he thought to himself happily, he'd quickly shoot Baralai. He had, after all, tucked his gun inside of his jacket as soon as Yuna's back was turned to him.

Just in case.

Tidus entered the ballroom, and for a second was quite stunned at what he was seeing. There were lights strung everywhere, and the room was by far one of the largest rooms he'd ever been in. There was an orchestra at the front of the room, playing a lively waltz.

Women were dressed in the most decorated and beautiful gowns, and the masked figures moved so gracefully across the floor. Tidus bit his lip nervously, wishing that he'd paid more attention to Yuna's fifteen minute dance lesson. He didn't want her to look stupid, after all.

As soon as he gathered his senses, he marched across the ballroom floor, his eyes scanning the crowd for Yuna or Baralai, who he assumed she'd be with.

It didn't take long to find Baralai. He was standing at the front by the orchestra, talking to a large group of people. Tidus looked to Baralai's right, and sure enough, there stood Yuna, holding onto Baralai's arm lightly, laughing at something that Baralai had just said.

Smiling, Tidus slowly began to approach them, although he worried that Baralai would somehow recognize him. He slowed his step until he was no longer walking. Perhaps this whole idea was foolish. Did Yuna want him to cause a scene?

Before Tidus could do anything else, a masked man with dark hair walked up to Baralai and Yuna, said something, and then walked away, with Yuna on his arm. Yuna smiled at the man, and then they began to dance.

Tidus took a step back, cowering back into the crowd. She looked so graceful, dancing alongside the tall, thin man. Baralai watched her, and nodded at her to the crowd gathered around him, as if to say something along the lines of 'she's mine'.

Without taking his eyes off of the red-gowned Yuna, Tidus felt himself sigh. She belonged to a world much unlike his own, a world he'd never known, a world he'd never know. He looked around the large ballroom, letting his eyes lift off of Yuna.

It was glamorous, truly and utterly glamorous. Baralai was glamorous. The man she was dancing with was glamorous. And what was Tidus? A mere foot soldier from the opposite side of her, who couldn't even tell her his real name.

Sighing again, Tidus turned around. It was foolish for him to come to such a party. He wasn't welcome, and there was a reason for that. The first chance he got, he told himself, he'd find a way to Zanarkand. He'd find his people and he'd join them. He'd fight until his very last breath, and atone for the sins he was committing by being where he was.

As he reached the entrance to the ballroom though, he glanced back, just in time to see that the dance had ended. Yuna was smiling widely at the man, and Baralai had joined them again, as if he didn't want Yuna away from him for too long. They were laughing at something, and Baralai pulled Yuna close to him, and whispered something in her ear. She giggled at whatever it was and hit him playfully on the shoulder.

Balling his hands in fists, Tidus marched back into the ballroom. He wasn't going to lose Yuna to Baralai, the man he should be killing, the man he'd promised not to kill.

He approached them and he saw Yuna's eyes light up from behind her mask.

"My lady," Tidus said, shocked that he could so easily find his voice, "would you mind if I stole you for a dance?"

"Of course not!" she said, and she turned to smile at Baralai, who shrugged.

She quickly grabbed onto Tidus' arm, and away they walked, while Baralai stood there, a suspicious look spread out across his face.

"What took you so long?" Yuna asked as she pulled Tidus further into the crowd and away from Baralai's leering gaze. "I had to dance with so many people waiting for you!"

Tidus ignored her comment and said, "You look really beautiful, Yuna."

Yuna rolled her eyes and said, "Well, it took them long enough to fit me into this dress!"

Tidus got into the waltz position without thinking, unable to take his eyes off of her. He felt stupid, for he knew he had a blank look spread across his face, but he couldn't help himself. He felt excited, as if he'd just accomplished a major task.

Tidus began to attempt to dance, but Yuna stopped him. She leaned in close to him, and said, "Sorin, let's go someplace else."

"Where?" Tidus questioned, but Yuna didn't answer him. She simply took his arm and led him through the door that he had entered, quite hastily.

She led him up the stairs and past some people and finally into a small room.

"Won't Baralai be looking for you?" Tidus asked, crossing his arms as soon as they were alone.

"Probably," Yuna said, letting out a sigh. "But he would have wanted me back as soon as the dance ended, you know. And then what would you have done?"

Tidus shrugged, and said, "Yuna, we can't act suspicious."

"I know," Yuna said, sighing loudly. "It's just that I… I want to spend time with you. Not all of those people."

Tidus smiled and opened his arms, which she happily greeted. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he closed his arms, rocking her side-to-side. She looked up at him and smiled, and leaned in for a kiss.

Their lips never met though, for at that moment, they heard the doorknob twist. They instantly separated, both with shocked looks upon their faces.

In walked Baralai, his mask off and his face in a frown.

Yuna and Tidus exchanged glances, their eyes opened wide in fear.

"Baralai," Yuna managed, and she forced a smile. "We were just…"

"I thought you said he was in Kilika," Baralai said through clenched teeth. "What is he doing back?"

"He-He just came back. For-For your ceremony!" Yuna said. "We have a surprise planned for you, you see, and…"

"And it has to do with the two of you kissing?" Baralai asked. He walked quickly over to Tidus and pushed him hard against the wall, the impact slamming his head against the wall. He then ripped his mask off, before taking a step backwards.

"Stop it!" Yuna said, stepping between Baralai and Tidus. It took everything in Tidus' power to keep himself from reaching for his weapon.

"There's something fishy about you," Baralai said, sneering at Tidus. He looked at Yuna, and then back at Tidus, shaking his head. "I don't understand it."

The door handle turned again, and all three of them fell still, their eyes going to the door. In walked a young man, his eyes gleaming in a strange way.

Tidus' eyes instantly lit in recognition.

"Gatta?" he cried, taking a shocked forward.

"You're a part of this mission too?" the dark-haired man said, smiling at Tidus.

"N-What are you doing here?" Tidus just asked.

"Don't worry, we can both take credit," Gatta said, and with that, he reached out a gun. "Which one to kill first?"

Baralai instantly threw Yuna, who appeared in shock, behind him, glaring at both Tidus and the man Tidus had met at training camp, Gatta.

"Alright then," Gatta said, and with that, he pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang through the air, the sound mixing with a scream that came from Yuna's mouth. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The bullet hit Baralai square in the chest, causing him to stagger backwards onto Yuna, before sliding down.

"Baralai!" Yuna cried and she instinctively knelt down next to him.

"You want to take her?" Gatta said, smiling at Tidus. "Hurry up though, mate. It's only a matter of time before they find us. But I'm prepared to die, you?"

"Gatta, get out of here!" Tidus just yelled.

Gatta looked at Tidus, and then at Yuna, and then said, "Wait a minute…"

"Get out of here!" Tidus yelled again.

Gatta simply shook his head slowly, before taking his gun and aiming it at Yuna's head.

Another gunshot echoed through the air, seeming louder than the last, and piercing into the air in an even more deafening way.

Only it wasn't Yuna that joined Baralai on the ground. It was Gatta, a bullet hitting him in the head, shot by the shiny pistol that was clenched in Tidus' hand.

**A/N: Okay, I know, I know, poor Baralai, right?! Just remember that he's one of my favorite characters too. :)**


	6. Traitor

Well, while my last chapter was by far the longest, I'm afraid this one is quite short. Sadly, I've noticed that this story isn't going to be a very long one at all, so I decided that throwing in a short chapter wouldn't be too bad.

...Like, I'm only a little over 20,000 words into it, and I'm already feeling close to the ending. ;;

Well... We'll see though. I know_ exactly_ how I want to end it, but I might make like a 'part 2'. I haven't decided yet...

...Although I just realized that my original plan for part two included Baralai who... yeah. Well, I'll just have to cook up a new idea for part 2! Besides that, I'd really like to have Rikku and some other characters in the story.

So yeah, sorry, here's chapter 6! Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Traitor

Yuna's eyes instantly met Tidus, her tears apparent in her eyes. The two stared at each other for what seemed like hours, before Yuna shook her head slowly, and said, "Sorin, you must leave!"

"Where should I go?" Tidus mustered. His head was spinning and he felt completely frozen. He didn't think he could move. He couldn't look at Gatta. He couldn't look at what he had just done.

"Please," Yuns said, her voice just a whisper. "Please leave!" With that, she grabbed his mask, slipped it over his head quickly, and pushed him toward the door. Tidus stumbled to the door and ran out. He ran to the right and noticed that people were running each and every way, everyone looking quite alarmed.

"Where is the lady Yuna?" he heard people say. "Where is Baralai?"

Tidus ignored them and pushed through the crowds. People were rushing outside, and Tidus joined them, unable to wait to get out of the gates.

He made it through with the frenzied crowed, and he headed to the only place he could think to head: the blitzball arena.

He still felt frozen. He walked fast though, his mind completely blank. All he could see was the frosty look in Gatta's eyes, the blood that dripped from the hole in his skull.

The same way his parents had looked as he'd been dragged away from the scene by Nooj…

Not only that, but the look in Yuna's eyes. Baralai was dead, and he knew Yuna wasn't going to take his death easily.

Tidus had to clear his head. He was a traitor, and all he could think about what how Yuna was handling the situation!

The word played over and over in his head: _traitor, traitor, traitor…_

He had to leave Bevelle.

With that as his final thought, he bounded down the stairs to the entrance of the old arena, and into the evening.

He didn't get far before he felt a raindrop hit him on the head. He looked up to see that storm clouds loomed above him.

He slowed to a stop. There was no way he could just leave. Where would he go? Back to Besaid? Wakka and Lulu would want to know why he was back. He couldn't just rush off to Zanarkand to fight, either. He had no idea where to go, where to even find the fight.

He went back to the blitzball arena, approaching it carefully, as if he was afraid that someone would be hiding inside of it.

As he climbed the steps to his usual area, he saw Yuna, sitting on the ground with her gown spread out around her. Baralai's blood was smeared on the dress, but it blended with the red almost perfectly.

"Sorin!" Yuna said as soon as she saw him. He noticed she had a single tear running slowly down her cheek. "I was afraid you had left!"

She stood up quickly, almost tripping as she did so, and ran over to him and flung her arms around him.

Tidus didn't say or do anything. He just stood there, staring past her shoulder.

She stepped away from him after a second, and said, "I told them that your friend killed himself after killing Baralai. No one knows that you were even there or involved."

"But I was," Tidus said, shaking his head. "I killed him…"

Yuna was silent and she closed her eyes.

"Sorin," she said, her voice very quiet, "my father is very upset at the death of Baralai. As am I. But I think we should tell them that you saved me!"

"And declare me a traitor?" Tidus snapped. "That's what I am, Yuna! I'm a traitor!"

"Sorin, you can become our new commander-in-chief!" Yuna cried.

Tidus turned around to face her, his face full of disbelief.

"It's all a part of your plan, isn't it?" he said through clenched teeth. "You want me to be your friend's replacement. Well I'm sorry Yuna, but I'm not going to be a traitor like Baralai was!"

"You have it all wrong!" Yuna cried. "Baralai was not a traitor! He has been with us since the very beginning! You're brainwashed, Sorin!"

"_I'm_ brainwashed?" Tidus cried loudly. "You expect me to believe that from you?"

"Sorin, you can be one of us," Yuna said. "You'll never have to fight. You'll just be with me, in the palace!"

"I want to fight!" Tidus cried, his teeth firmly together. "I can't let my people down, Yuna. And I can't let you down. I have to leave."

"But you can't!" Yuna cried, grabbing his arm as he turned to go out the door. "Sorin, where will you go?"

"Back to Besaid, where I belong!" Tidus cried.

Yuna let his arm go, and it startled him so that he almost lost his balance. He turned to face her, to see a very distressed expression on Yuna's face.

"You can't go there," she said, shaking her head slowly, her eyes not leaving him. "They're bombing it."

Tidus' face dropped, and he felt his body go numb.

"What?" he said, and he blinked a few times.

Yuna swallowed and said quickly, "The reason I managed to sneak out was because of everybody's attention on the bombing."

Tidus shook his head, his eyes wide with torment.

"Sorin, my father's ordered Besaid to be bombed!"

"You can't do that!" Tidus cried, grabbing her hard by the shoulders. "I have friends there! I have to warn them!"

"It's too late!" Yuna cried, her voice loud and harsh. "It's too late, Sorin! My father just sent out the airships! It's only a matter of minutes!"

Tidus released her and ran to the door as fast as he could. He had to warn someone.

"Sorin, please, it's hopeless!" Yuna cried after him.

He stopped just as he reached the doorway, and turned around to face her.

"I'm going to kill your father," he said steadily. Then, he pulled out his gun and pointed at her. "Better yet, I'm going to…"

Yuna looked at him with her eyes wide in terror, her mouth slightly agape.

Tidus didn't point the gun at her for long though. Instead, he twisted it around and placed it up against his own skull.

Yuna let out a cry and fell onto the ground, and pulled her blood-soaked dress up to her eyes, and began to sob into it.

"Please don't…" Tidus heard her muffled voice choke. "Please…"

Tidus slowly lowered the gun from his head.

"It's just, I don't know what else to do," Tidus managed, his voice slow.

Yuna looked up at him, her eyes red from the tears.

"I don't know what to do, where to go…" Tidus said. He lowered himself to the ground, and in his crouched position, buried his face in his arms.

"Come with me," Yuna said. She crawled over to him and pulled him toward her, so that he was burying his face into her shoulder.

"I can't," he said, his voice muffled.

"Then stay, right here. It's what you're supposed to do, after all, right?"

Tidus fell silent. Finally, he pulled away from her, and said, "I can't. Don't you understand, Yuna? We're not meant to be together. It won't work out. It _can't _work out. I'm a traitor now, to both you and my own side. I'm better off dead."

"No," Yuna said quickly, grabbing the gun that Tidus had left lying on the ground and sliding it away. "You're not better off dead. You're fine, right here! No one knows Sorin! No one knows but you and I. No one ever needs to know!"

"But _I _know," Tidus said. "I know I'm a traitor. It'll eat me up, Yuna. They're bombing Besaid and it's all my fault! My friends Yuna… it's like I killed them."

"It's not your fault," Yuna said. "My father would have bombed them no matter what."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Tidus groaned. "Do you think they've bombed them yet? All I can think of is all my friends, going about their business, not knowing they're about to die. I feel so helpless!"

"I understand how you feel," Yuna said, and she pulled her knees to her chest to rest her head on top of them. "I felt the same way, long ago, when I was eight."

"Would you stop pulling your friend into this?" Tidus snapped. "He's gone, okay?"

"And pretty soon your friends will be too!" Yuna cried. "This is war, Sorin! It's no one's fault! It just happens!"

"So what am I supposed to do? Just stay here and act like everything's normal? That it's normal that I killed my own teammate, my own friend?"

"But you did it…" Yuna mumbled. She couldn't seem to finish her sentence, so she instead changed directions with it. "Would you rather you hadn't killed him?" she finally managed, and she looked up at him, waiting for his answer.

Tidus was shocked at the question. He stared at her long and hard, their eyes not separating.

"Of course not," Tidus said, his voice soft. "If we went back to that moment right now, I'd do the same thing. But I'm not going to lie: I'm glad he killed Baralai first."

Yuna opened her mouth to say something, but she instantly shut it.

"A man for a man then?" she finally said, and she looked back at Tidus to view his expression.

He pressed his mouth into a firm line and nodded.

Only, he then let out a loud sigh, and said, "Make that three men—well, actually two men and woman for a man."

Yuna cocked her head to the side, not seeming to understand.

"Well, my two friends in Besaid are probably dead now," Tidus said, into his arms. "Wakka and Lulu. They're the reason I'm here right now. They didn't want me to go to Zanarkand. They thought I'd be safer here."

"A woman friend?" Yuna asked, her interest apparently peaked.

Tidus laughed and said, "I felt nothing outside of friendship toward them. They took me in like I was a sibling."

"I see…" Yuna said.

Tidus raised his eyes to look at Yuna, and he said, "I wouldn't have killed Gatta to save them."

Yuna's eyes flicked over to Tidus', her face alarmed.

Tidus looked away as her eyes met his, and he let out a very loud sigh and said, "I'd trade all three of them, if it meant that you'd be safe. So I guess I have no regrets."

"I'm sorry…" Yuna said, her voice soft. "It's selfish of me, isn't it? I ask far too much from you."

"It is selfish," Tidus said, his eyes on Yuna again, "but this is war, right? And it's fair to be selfish. There's not much else I can give you, after all. Without you, who knows where I'd be right now. And you…. Well, if I hadn't been at that party, you'd be dead. I'm guessing Gatta wasn't the only one there to kill you. There's a mission, you know. A mission like mine, with the aim to kill the leader's daughter. A mission to kill you.

"I guess," Tidus continued, "they want to get to your father by killing what they think he holds precious: you."

Yuna laughed, and she shook her head. "He loves Bevelle and New Yevon far more than he loves me. It would mean nothing to him if I died." She let out a soft laugh, and she said, "I'm sure it meant far more to have Baralai killed. He was like a son to my father, and my father…" Yuna trailed, and she just shook her head, before resting her head on her knees again.

"Yuna!" Tidus said suddenly, his eyes lighting up. "Why don't _you_ come with me? True, I don't know where we'll go, but…"

Yuna laughed, and said, "What, the two of us hide out?"

"We could go to Luca!"

"You'd really abandon your cause?" Yuna asked, appearing shocked.

Tidus' eyes dimmed, and he shook his head. "No, I couldn't…"

"Do you feel that loyal to them?" Yuna questioned.

"Of course I do. I owe them so much," Tidus muttered. "Nooj saved me, after all. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. They taught me so much, you know, about fighting and all that stuff. I could probably easily become and officer."

"Or," Yuna said, and it was her turn for her eyes to light up, "I'll take you to my father and explain how you saved me! I'm sure he'll be so charmed that he'll want to take you in!"

Tidus laughed. "I'm too much of a traitor as it is, Yuna! How's that not abandoning my cause?"

"And then…" Yuna said, crawling over to Tidus' side, "you can undermine New Yevon from the inside. Nooj will be so proud of you then, and you can redeem yourself."

Tidus looked at Yuna, who was now laying her head on his shoulder, a smile on her face.

"You'd really let me do that?" he questioned.

Yuna nodded.

Tidus shook his head. "I couldn't."

"Why not?"

Tidus looked at her and smiled, and said, "I'd kill your old man."

Yuna smiled back at him, and said, "Not if I could convince you to join New Yevon."

"You just want me to be a traitor," Tidus said, shaking his head, his smile not disappearing.

"I want you to realize that sometimes, being a traitor is the right thing to do," Yuna said.

"So now you want me to choose between you and the Youth League?" Tidus questioned, his smile disappearing.

He had meant it as jest, but to his surprise, Yuna nodded.

"Don't you think that's the only choice we have?" Yuna questioned. "Or," she said, and she reached across from her to pick up Tidus' pistol, "we could attempt love suicide." She didn't look at Tidus as she finished her sentence, and instead focused her attention on the pistol.

Tidus reached over and took the pistol from her, and said, "You want me to shoot you? Isn't that the polite thing for me to do?"

"If we were going to be old-fashioned, yes, I suppose," Yuna said, shrugging.

"What if I didn't kill myself?" Tidus questioned.

"I trust you," Yuna said, a smile on her lips.

"You're crazy," Tidus said. With that, he pointed the weapon in front of him and shot it. Yuna jumped at the noise at his side, and gave him an alarmed look.

"Sorin!" she cried, her face full of panic. "What are you doing? There are guards everywhere! They'll find us!"

Tidus ignored her and shot again, and again. He shot until his ammo was out, and then raised his eyebrows at Yuna.

"We'd better leave then," he said, standing up. "And I'm guessing they'll figure out that someone's been in here."

Tidus rushed out the door then, with Yuna following him quickly.

"Wait!" she cried as they reached the exit. She looked confused, and as if she was dreading for an explanation.

Tidus took her hands in his and said, "No more meeting here, Yuna. No more meeting at all." With that, he kissed her forehead, and disappeared out the door.

Yuna just stared at the empty door, her eyes immediately misting over.


	7. Sorin

I must apologize once more for the short(er) chapter. It's just that I have an idea where I want to end the chapter, and I haven't seemed able to make it span over 5 pages. (I typically like my updates to be 7 pages, 3,000+ words...) I thought I'd go into the next chapter with this one, but... I liked where it ended. :)

I'm also updating a little bit earlier than I typically do! My internet connection hasn't been the most stable lately, so I figured I'd post this while I can, since it likes to go out _just _as I'm about to make an update. You see, the reason I do an every-other-day update pattern is because I like to give people two days to read my updates, and therefore two days to review. :3 Yes, I like my reviews. (Seriously, thank you everybody. Your words make my day!) I hate being pushy, and all "READ AND REVIEW!" because I myself rarely review. (A bad habit, I know!) But anyway, yes, I do like reviews, and so I hate updating sooner, because I want as many reviews as I can get! (Aw, I sound so selfish! I'm sorry)

Anyway, here is chapter 7! Please do enjoy!

**Chapter 7: Sorin**

The news of the bombing was the first thing Tidus woke up to in the morning. He had managed to convince himself that he had dreamt of the night before, but the news of the fate of the young commander-in-chief, the small island, and his empty pistol was enough to convince him that it had indeed been reality.

It became even more real when he tried to flee the city, only to find that he—and other merchants—was unable to do so. Bevelle had closed its gates, locking everyone inside, and letting no one in.

The city seemed to be in grief over their deceased commander-in-chief. The citizens of the city wore grim expressions, and Tidus often heard mention of attending his funeral, which was to be held at the Temple of New Yevon.

Tidus had to admit that he was shocked at the city's attitude toward their commander-in-chief. They acted as if he was Yevon himself, and his death put them in rather sour moods.

The people of Bevelle had burned Gatta's body, and many had attended the event. It made Tidus sick to think about it.

As for Yuna, Tidus had no idea how she was holding up. He didn't even know if she was still alive. It frightened him, actually. The look of desire in her eyes at the mention of suicide was too much to bear.

He knew he was to blame. After all, he'd been the one to first point the gun at his own head. Surely he'd given her the idea. He remembered her mentioning that she had always wanted a forbidden romance. Was he simply the answer to that? Did the entire idea of loving someone she honestly couldn't have excite her? Was the idea of love suicide her ideal way to die? Dying at the hands of her lover, knowing that he would join her as well?

Or was there more to it?

Tidus thought about her friend. She seemed to mention him a lot. He wondered if he himself really was simply her friend's replacement. Perhaps she had somehow twisted his existence to blend with her friend's?

At times, Tidus felt as if he should pay Yuna a visit. He had no idea how to though. Where could he find her? He would never be able to enter the palace, especially not after what had happened to Baralai.

For the most part, Tidus spent his days feeling completely lost. He knew the bomb had hit Besaid. He'd even had the gory pleasure of seeing pictures that New Yevon scum had managed to take of the bombed out island. In the pit of Tidus' stomach, he doubted that anybody could survive such a wretched explosion.

The whole deal made him extraordinarily bitter. He spent his days waiting for word that he was to head out to the front in Zanarkand. Word that he feared would never arrive.

At times, Tidus found himself wandering aimlessly. Somehow, he always ended up at the old blitzball arena. The place that had been their place just days ago. It seemed sacred, even days later.

In fact, Tidus found himself standing outside of that bombed arena on the day of Baralai's funeral, his hands shoved absent-mindedly in his pockets, his blue eyes gazing at the massive arena, who's entire back half was completely caved in. It would have been a brilliantly magnificent structure had it not been bombed. Had it not been bombed by the Youth League.

Tidus scoffed at the thought. Zanarkand had been a magnificent city as well before it was bombed.

His face completely fell when he realized he could compare the whole 'bombing' thing to his relationship with Yuna. By shooting that gun, giving away the place where they could be together, he'd bombed the relationship and had destroyed something magnificent.

His eyes went back to the arena. It could be fixed. It could be rebuilt. He wondered why the city hadn't made any effort to rebuild it. In his heart, he knew why. They were afraid that it would just get destroyed again.

Tidus pushed his lips together, forming a thin line between them. Exactly. There was no reason to attempt to rebuild it, because it would just get ruined again. It was the story of war. The story of his relationship.

The only question remaining was a simple one: are buildings and humans really the same? Was it really a proper metaphor?

Tidus found himself wandering again, his mind everywhere but on the streets of Bevelle.

He tried to convince himself that like the blitzball arena, his relationship with Yuna was never to be fixed. Just the same though, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

As he wandered, so very in thought, he suddenly bumped right into someone, stopping him dead in his tracks. He mumbled an 'excuse me', but as his vision slowly came back into focus and he returned to reality, he realized that not only had he run into one person: he had run into an entire gathering of people.

It had been years since he'd seen so many people in one place. Tidus stood there, completely dazed. Where was he? What was going on?

His face fell as the temple of New Yevon appeared in the distance, in front of the thousands gathered before it. He was at Baralai's funeral ceremony.

Tidus turned to leave, only to realize that more people had arrived since his own arrival. He was pushed forward, his eyes wide and unsure.

No matter how hard he tried to turn around, he found himself unable, and he continued to get pushed closer and closer to the temple by the crowd, all who must have been eager to see Baralai's dead body.

Some people had tears in their eyes, and husbands held their wives close, attempting to console them while doing their best to keep their own eyes dry. For the most part though, they seemed overly eager to share their respects.

As Tidus got closer to the temple, the large royal violet casket that held Baralai's body came into view. Tidus stopped his forward movement, as did everybody else at the shock of the casket.

It was a rather warm, sunny day, so Tidus felt himself even more taken aback. Was Baralai's body really in there?

The vision of Baralai lying dead entered Tidus' mind.

Tidus blinked a few times and took a deep breath, and that's when he met her gaze.

Looking at him with a shocked expression on her face was Yuna, who stood next to the casket, dressed entirely in black.

The two stared at each other for some time, both appearing shocked to see the other. Tidus was then bumped forward, breaking his gaze from her.

Tidus stumbled slightly, pushed from the crowd behind him, and that's when a much greater sight came into view. Standing between Yuna and Baralai's casket stood the tall, looming leader of New Yevon. Lord Braska himself.

Tidus' mouth instantly fell agape, and a desire to have his pistol returned. How easily it would be to destroy the entire faction of New Yevon! All with one simple pull of a trigger.

Of course, Tidus knew that there were guards surrounding the whole place. There were many standing behind the Lord Braska.

Tidus' heart suddenly began to speed. What if there were fellow Youth Leaguers, about to kill not only Lord Braska, but his daughter as well?

His eyes shot back to Yuna, who he noticed was still looking at him.

He couldn't believe how paranoid he was, worried that something would happen to Yuna. How had he started thinking the way he was thinking?

Yuna seemed to be trying to tell Tidus something then, but she seemed unable to do so. Perhaps it was because all eyes were on her. People were already beginning to attempt to look at what she was looking at.

Tidus bit his lip. He had to find a way to talk to her again. He had to apologize. But how could he meet her anywhere?

Yuna seemed to read his mind, for she suddenly turned to her father and said something to him in a very low voice. Tidus watched as she gave Baralai's casket a quick glance, and she then disappeared into the temple.

Tidus instinctively moved to the side, hoping there was a way that he too could get into the temple. He shoved his way through the crowd, and around the side of the temple. There were guards everywhere, some who eyed him suspiciously.

His heart was racing, his mind blank. The only thing he could think of was Yuna.

Just as he was about to give up, he noticed a man clad completely in white walk up to the wall down from him, and open what appeared to be a wooden door.

Full of haste, Tidus ran to the wooden panel, and opened it, noticing that it led to the interior of the temple.

Tidus entered with caution. He had never been inside of a Yevon temple before, although he'd been in charge of vandalizing Yevon temples when he was younger.

He walked a ways, his footsteps loud on the stone floor below him, the noise seeming to echo into the broad area around him.

He walked for quite a while, following the man in white carefully. He followed him into what appeared to be a circular area surrounded by candles, and that's where he saw her.

Her back was to him, and she was staring off at nothing. The man in white said something in a low voice to her, and she turned to face him, and nodded her head at him. He nodded as well, and continued walking. Tidus stood in the entrance way, until he was gone, making it just Yuna in the room.

As if sensing him, Yuna turned around, her eyes seeming to glow as soon as she saw him.

Tidus lost it, and he knew Yuna did as well. The two ran toward each, flinging themselves into the other's embrace.

"I thought for sure you had left!" Yuna cried, holding him tightly.

"Are you kidding?" Tidus said, a smile lighting his face for the first time in days. "Right now, no one leaves Bevelle!"

"I thought you were angry at me!" Yuna continued.

"No, just angry at myself," Tidus said quickly.

"You had every right to be angry," Yuna said. "I acted so foolishly… so selfishly. I kept… I kept expecting you to… to join my side, you know? Not because I wanted to push my beliefs of you, but because I truly felt it would be the easiest way. I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine," Tidus said, for honestly, he wasn't upset. Not anymore. He pulled away from her then, so that he could look at her. She looked up at him, her eyes seeming clear and unbelieving, as if she honestly couldn't believe that he was back.

"I'm sorry," Tidus said, and he was truly shocked at how easily he could find his voice. "I'm so sorry for leaving you like that."

Yuna simply smiled at him. "I can't stay angry at you," she admitted. "And besides that, I was never angry."

"Me neither," Tidus said. "Not at you, at least. It's this war. It's this whole side thing. I want nothing to do with it anymore."

"But…" Yuna said, her eyes meeting his, hers opening wider and wider.

"But I can't be a traitor," Tidus said, swallowing. "I'm with the Youth League. Until the day I die. But I'm with you, too. And I don't want to betray you."

Yuna wrapped her arms around him again, but said nothing.

Finally, she pulled away from him, and said, "I have to go. My father will be wondering where I am."

She started away, but Tidus quickly grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" he said, his voice full of urgency. "Isn't it dangerous out there? There are more men like Gatta out there."

"At Baralai's funeral? Are you people truly that cold-hearted?" her tone was of jest.

"Yuna, this is serious," Tidus said. "I'm truly concerned for you. I don't want a recap of the night of Baralai's death. I don't want to have to kill another one of my men."

"There are guards everywhere," Yuna said. "Besides, I won't be out there for much longer."

"Be careful," Tidus said, his voice in just a whisper, as if someone was to overhear.

"Watch my back," Yuna simply said.

"This isn't something to joke about," Tidus said.

"I know," Yuna said. "I'm honestly not joking."

Tidus ignored her comment, and said, "Where can I find you?"

"It won't be easy for me to leave the palace," Yuna said, shaking her head. "And it may be even harder for you to enter. But I will find a way."

"I have an idea," Tidus said very quickly, his mind running fast. "Tell your father that I saved you. Tell him that Sorin saved you." There was no doubting Tidus' emphasis on the name Sorin.

"Sorin…" Yuna said softly, and her eyes lit up. "Your name isn't Sorin?"

"Tell him," Tidus said, ignoring her. "Tell him the first chance you get. Convince him to allow me entrance. Tomorrow, I will be come to see you. I trust they will allow me to enter."

"Alright," Yuna said, nodding. "Tomorrow then."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

-

When Tidus returned to his small little room, he was shocked to discover a white envelope similar to the one he'd received when he'd first arrived. He looked around a few times, wondering how much the Youth League knew about him.

With shaking hands, he began to open the envelope. What if they knew that he'd been the one to kill Gatta, all to protect Yuna? The only thing he could tell himself was that if this was the case, chances were that he'd be dead by now.

He pulled the folded letter out of its carrier, his stomach dropping as he read the one sentence that was printed: IN EXACTLY THREE DAYS, YOU ARE NEEDED AT THE FRONT IN ZANARKAND.

It was the letter that he'd been waiting for, the letter that he feared would never arrive. Questions begin to rise in his head. How did he know how to get to the front? Was someone going to find him? Would he be able to leave Bevelle in three days?

And of course, the big question: How was he going to tell Yuna?

Slowly, and rather thoughtfully, he tore up the letter. He had only three days left in Bevelle, three days left with Yuna.

In a way, it seemed utterly fitting. Except for the fact that he'd just given Yuna permission to officially declare him a traitor.

With the shreds of the letter still in his hand, Tidus took a deep breath. Nothing mattered anymore. If he managed to survive and reach the front, he knew where his fate would go: He'd be killed.

No one ever returned from Zanarkand's front.


	8. Tidus

Yay, this is my favorite chapter! It's the first chapter that I've written without struggling since... erm... chapter 2 or so. XD

I'm updating a little early because you know, I think I like updating at night better than in the morning! It's nice to wake up to you guys' sweet reviews:)

Sadly... I'm thinking that the next chapter _may _be the last chapter. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because I'm off for an away hockey game on Friday. (OMG yes, it's going to be a blast! Heh, I'm staying at the same hotel as the players! ;)

-clears throat- Um... yeah, anyway, here's chapter 8! Please enjoy!

Chapter 8: Tidus

The next morning was utterly bright and happy. People already seemed to have forgotten about Baralai's funeral the day before, and things were back to their normal business in the merchant district of Bevelle.

In fact, the only gloomy individual was Tidus, as he started is trek to the palace.

His stomach twisted about within him. Was he going to gain easy access to the palace? Would Braska of all people want to talk to him? Once he finally gained access, then what? How was he going to tell Yuna that he was to leave in three days?

He knew Yuna wouldn't be supportive of his decision to go to the front. He, however, knew that he had no choice. No choice at all.

As Tidus walked closer to the palace, he began to grow torn. A part of him told him to just leave. He could sit in his little room until it was time to go. Yuna would of course look for him and wonder what had happened to him, but he figured she'd eventually stop thinking about him, and he'd just drift out of her life.

Even now, Tidus didn't understand his relationship with her. He didn't understand it at all. All he knew was that he dreadfully wanted to see her. It was because of that that he continued on toward the palace. He forced himself to keep his mind blank. It was beginning to ache from thinking too much.

As the palace suddenly loomed in the distance, Tidus actually felt himself grow calm. He no longer had anything to lose. He'd already thrown away his trust, his integrity, and in a way, he'd already thrown Yuna away as well. This would simply be a proper farewell.

Tidus approached the gates as if he owned the place. He stuffed a hand absentmindedly into his pocket and looked up at the palace as if someone was supposed to be out there to let him in.

It always had shocked him how empty the surroundings of the palace were. There were no guards, no Yevon monks, no nothing. If Yuna had wanted to escape, he couldn't doubt that it was too hard.

And if the Youth League wanted access, he doubted that would be too hard.

Of course, he was sure that the security was much tighter than he realized. This thought was answered, for exactly then, a guard came walking around to him, a confused frown on his face.

"What's your name?" he growled at Tidus, his eyes narrow slits.

"Sorin," Tidus answered. "I believe—.""Ah yes, come with me," the guard said. He did a quick weapon check on Tidus, although at this point, Tidus had no weapons. He realized that it would be the first time entering the palace without one.

The guard slid a key into the gate, which opened. He pulled Tidus through by the arm, much gentler than the guard had been with Tidus when Yuna had first summoned him to the palace.

The guard led him into the main entrance of the palace, and into a large, wide reception room. In the middle of the room, sitting in a chair as if she'd been waiting all morning, sat Yuna.

Her eyes immediately lit up at the entrance of Tidus and the guard, and she jumped out of her chair.

"Sorin!" she said, her smile bright. She walked hastily up to the two, and dismissed the guard.

"I was worried you wouldn't come," she admitted, and she took his arm and led him into another room. "You have to meet my father!"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Tidus cried, pulling his arm from her grasp. "Your father?"

"He wants to meet my savior!" Yuna said, giving Tidus a look to show that she didn't understand his actions.

"I can't meet him," Tidus said in a low voice. "You know that!"

"Just a quick meeting?" Yuna said.

"How can you trust me that much?" Tidus cried. "You wouldn't let me kill Baralai, you wouldn't let me—."

"Shh!" Yuna hushed him quickly. "Don't talk about that here!"

"The point is, Yuna," Tidus said, in a harsh whisper, "I'd lose it upon seeing your father."

"Do you have a weapon?" Yuna asked.

"No, but I could easily find one," Tidus said. "And besides, I don't want to show him my face, the face of a traitor."

"You're being too dramatic," Yuna said surely. "He wants to meet you!"

"Tell him I never showed up," Tidus said, his eyes hard on Yuna's. "I can't face him, Yuna. That'd be like me forcing you to face Nooj."

Yuna's features softened, and she said, "I suppose you're right. I'm sorry. It's just that I thought—."

"You thought your father would be so impressed with me that he'd beg me to join New Yevon or something like that?" Tidus questioned, rolling his eyes.

Yuna simply looked at the ground, and said, "Something like that. You could become the new commander-in-chief, Tidus!"

Tidus looked at her with a shocked look, and he said, "You really think I'd become a full-out traitor? I'm not Baralai, Yuna.""Baralai wasn't traitorous!" Yuna cried. "He's been on this side forever. It's Nooj, Sorin."

"You're brainwashed," Tidus scoffed.

"No, I'm not," Yuna said, shaking her head, her eyes shining angrily almost, a look Tidus had yet to see shine within them.

"Can't we talk about this someplace else?" Tidus said, as a guard walked past them, looking at them suspiciously.

"If I didn't owe you my life," Yuna said, still looking angrily, "I would alert them that you're a member of the Youth League."

To this, Tidus smiled and leaned close to her, and said, "Go ahead."

"Why are you being so difficult!" Yuna cried loudly, so loud that the guard stopped and looked at them, before shaking his head and continuing on.

"I'm being difficult," Tidus said, becoming angry as well, "because you keep expecting me to switch sides. If I had to choose between the Youth League and you, I would…" Tidus stopped. He wanted to say that he'd choose her. After all, he'd been choosing her over them the entire time he was in Bevelle. But why then was he so determined to go to the front?

"Look Yuna, there's something I have to tell you," Tidus said then, his anger disappearing completely. "It's something really important. And we'll need to talk about it in private."

He saw Yuna's anger disappear, although not completely, but for the most part, it was replaced with concern.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I can't tell you here," Tidus said.

"Come with me," she said, and she led him up the grand staircase that Tidus had fled down the night of Baralai's death.

She pulled him into a small room that he had never been in before and shut the door and locked it.

"What is it?" she asked.

Tidus simply shrugged and took a seat on one of the chairs in the room. Yuna did the same, taking a seat next to him, although she seemed refusing to look away from him.

"I got a letter," Tidus said softly. "I'm supposed to go to the front in three days."

"What?" Yuna cried. "Sorin, that's ridiculous! You can't go there!"

Tidus laughed and said, "I have to, you know."

"Not if you speak to my father!" Yuna said, her eyes seeming to glow hopefully.

"I'm not switching sides, Yuna. That's not an option."

"Don't think of it as 'switching sides'!" Yuna cried.

"Then what should I think of it as?" Tidus questioned, his eyes narrowing at her.

"Think of it as staying with me," Yuna said, her face sad.

Tidus was somewhat taken aback at her words, but only momentarily.

"The punishment for ditching is death, Yuna. No matter what, I'll die. I think my chances are better at the front…"

"You don't understand," Yuna said, shaking her head. "And I can't tell you, because even if I tried to explain it, you'd claim that it's not true."

"What are you talking about?" Tidus demanded, his face scrunched in confusion.

"The Youth League is losing, Sorin," Yuna said, and she swallowed loudly. "It's the truth. I overheard my father say that right now, the Youth League is just sending soldiers to the front on suicide missions, just hoping to dent us."

"That's not true," Tidus said. "You must have misheard. The Youth League is ahead, and we always have been!"

"See, I told you that you would claim my words to be untrue!" Yuna cried. "Sorin, I'm telling you what I know! What I've heard! Have you ever met anyone who has actually been to the front? Have you?"

"Nooj has!" Tidus said.

"No he hasn't!" Yuna said. "Baralai has though. Baralai told me all about how horrible it was, and how even more horrible it was for Youth League soldiers! You have to trust me Sorin!"

"You just want me to stay!" Tidus said, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Yes, I desperately want you to stay!" Yuna said, her face full of plea. "If you leave, you'll never return! Perhaps I'm being selfish here, but I can't handle that, Sorin! I… I need you here."

"We've only known each other for a matter of weeks," Tidus said, scrunching his face in disgust.

"Do you honestly feel nothing toward me?" Yuna questioned, and she sank back in her chair.

"I'm not sure how to answer that," came Tidus' honest answer.

The two fell silent then, before Yuna said, "I just don't understand, Sorin. Please, meet my father. Perhaps he'll offer something to you! And then… and then…" She couldn't seem to say her words, but she finally looked at him with urgency in her eyes and said, "Undermine New Yevon from the inside! I promise you that you'd be doing a lot more damage under my father's wing!"

"I can't betray you!" Tidus cried.

"It's not betraying me!" Yuna said, and Tidus noticed that it looked as if she was about to cry. "It's betraying New Yevon. And I don't care about New Yevon! I don't care a single bit!

"Go ahead," she continued, "kill my father. Kill everybody here! What difference does it make? I'd rather have you then them!"

"How can you say that?" Tidus asked, his face showing more and more disgust. "How can you feel that greatly toward me?"

"I've never been close to my father," Yuna muttered. "I've never been close to anyone here. Not since I was eight or so. It's so lonely. But then you come and you gave me meaning. And I thought I gave you meaning too! Meaning outside of this ridiculous war!"

Yuna took a deep breath, and said, "But I guess that's not the case. I'm sorry for attempting to save your life, Sorin. It's just that you mean that much to me."

"Because you think me to be your friend's replacement," Tidus said, looking away.

"Please don't think that!" Yuna cried. "I mean, yes, I'm shocked at how much you resemble him, but there's more to it than that!"

As if the thought of her friend saddened her though, Yuna suddenly looked at the ground and let out a loud sigh.

"But whatever, I guess," she mumbled. "It shouldn't surprise me that you want to leave me. This war has already ruined my life. I suppose I thought that you could at least help me regain my life, but I… I realize now how foolish I was to think that."

"Yuna…" Tidus started, for he hadn't meant for her to be as upset as she was over the matter.

"It's hard for me to let you go," she simply continued, ignoring him. "The Youth League has taken everything that was ever precious to me, and now they'll take you too. I know it's not like it's against your will or anything, but I… I don't want another one of my friends to die because of them.

"You see, my friend's father was my father's best friend. He was our commander-in-chief. Together, we made a big, happy family. Our mothers were also the best of friends. In more peaceful times, we'd go on picnics or trips to Kilika. We knew how to have fun. I knew how to truly, truly smile." She smiled at Tidus then, and said, "And I hadn't been able to smile, until I met you."

She looked at the ground again though, her smile fading, and continued.

"When I was seven, my mother died. She fell ill, and before I knew it, she was gone. If my friend and his family wasn't there, I don't know how I would have ever gotten over it. But I did.

"I ran all over the palace, playing hide-and-go-seek with my friend. We'd play endless amounts of games. He was always so very clumsy, but really, so was I." Yuna paused then, her eyes seeming moist. "Then one day, your friend Nooj came. I know you seem refusing to believe this, but at the time, Nooj was one of our most trusted men. He said that things were growing nasty in the Calm Lands. My friend's father, his wife, and… my friend himself, were all summoned to go there and make everything better.

"I remember my friend was so excited. His eyes sparkled at the opportunity to go along on a mission with his family. But he never even made it far.

"Two days later," Yuna took a deep breath, "we received word that Nooj had deceived us. He had led my friend and his family astray, where they were then captured by Youth League soldiers. What happened after that will ever remain a mystery, but Nooj did have the decency to send us pictures of their bodies, a picture my father never allowed me to see."

"Look Yuna, I'm sorry about your friend," Tidus said, unsure of what else to say. "But Nooj saved me. Nooj saved me from the fate that your friend had."

"Exactly," Yuna said, forcing a wry smile onto her lips. "So don't you think Nooj can afford to give you back to me? Since he took my only friend?"

"I doubt he'd look at it that way," Tidus said. "I owe him too much, Yuna. And, I still need to get even for my parents' death. Don't you think that if given the chance, your friend would do the same?"

Yuna sighed loudly, and said, "I always knew that my friend would probably die eventually. He was in Baralai's position, after all, and look at Baralai's fate. But I would have done more to protect him. I honestly, truly would have."

"But we never would have met…" Tidus mused. "If he was still alive. Is that how you would rather this story went?"

"Yes," Yuna said. "Not because I'm not happy to have met you. But because you're just going to leave me, just like my friend did. I don't want to lose you too, Sorin!"

"Well, you're going to have to deal with it," Tidus said, standing up.

"Please, don't go!" Yuna cried, standing up as well. Her eyes were full of tears, tears that seemed refusing to leave her eyes. "Please just see my father!"

"I'm sorry," Tidus said. "Goodbye."

She stared at him as he walked past her, the tears finally slipping down her face.

"Please don't go!" she repeated herself. "I can't lose you, like I lost Tidus…"

Tidus stopped dead in his tracks, and turned around to face her, his eyes wide.

"What did you just say?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Yuna shrugged. "I said I can't lose you, like I lost my friend."

"You said Tidus," Tidus said, walking up to her. "Why did you say that name?"Yuna looked at him, her eyes wide in fright, as if she was afraid she'd done something wrong.

"Tidus is the name of my friend," she said. "Haven't I said that before."

Tidus blinked a few times. Then, he swallowed loudly, and said, "My name is Tidus."


	9. Fated

Awww, here is the last chapter! I knew before I started writing this story how it was going to end. But I won't keep talking about the ending before you're read it.

I thought about doing a sequel, but... well, I instead got distracted with a sequel for _Number Thirty-Seven _that I started back in October. So now I'm torn, because I have about a week to write it (if I want to...) and what in the world would I title a sequel to it? And, are people even interested?

Anyway, sorry about the rambles... Please enjoy!

Chapter 9: Fated

Tidus and Yuna stared at each other for a long time, both with their mouths slightly agape.

Finally, Tidus swallowed loudly and said, "Coincidence." With that, he turned around and started toward the door again.

"It can't be coincidence!" Yuna cried after him. "You can't just leave!"

Tidus stopped, but didn't turn around.

"You expect me to believe that I was born into New Yevon?" Tidus said, his voice quite firm. "And you expect me to believe that it was Nooj who killed my parents?"

"It was Nooj!" Yuna said. "Don't you remember anything?"

"No," Tidus said. "Which is why I'm going to believe that it's just coincidence."

"So you're just going to run off to the front, to continue fighting on the wrong side?" Yuna cried, her voice cracking.

"I'm not fighting for the wrong side!" Tidus cried.

"Why are you fighting?" Yuna said loudly. "What is your reason for fighting, Tidus? To avenge your parents, right? Nooj must have turned you around! Your parents were best friends with my parents! Your parents were proud members of New Yevon!"

"No!" Tidus cried loudly. "They weren't!"

Yuna ran in front of him, blocking him from the door.

"They were too," Yuna said. "Come with me Tidus! Please, talk with my father!"

"No!" Tidus cried, his eyes glowing with anger. "Get out of my way."

"We were friends!" Yuna cried. "Tidus, you were so dear to me! You've always been so dear to me! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me when I thought you were dead? And now you've come back into my life and you're just going to leave again? You can't! I won't let you!" She was now crying, but she kept her voice steady.

Tidus just shook his head, but Yuna noticed the anger in his eyes was slowly disappearing. He was beginning to look defeated.

"Please," Yuna said, her voice in just a whisper. "Please stay here, with me. You're not a traitor, Tidus. You were just in the wrong place. But now you're right. And you can still avenge your parents' deaths. By staying here, with me!

"You can take your role back. You're rightfully supposed to be here! With me!"

Tidus just looked at the ground and shook his head.

"Please…" Yuna said, for she was now completely pleading with him. "Surely you can remember being here? Long ago, with me? We were best friends, Tidus!"

She let out a loud sigh, and, not waiting for his answer, said, "It saddens me that you can't seem to recall being here. You meant so much to me, Tidus. And now, I mean so little to you." Her tears came faster, and her face twisted into a rather pained expression, and she continued, saying, "Do I even mean anything to you now?"

She wasn't shocked when Tidus said a blank, "No."

Looking up at him with open, sad eyes, Yuna saw him shrug, and he turned his head from her, as if refusing to look at her.

"Things were a lot less confusing before I met you," he said. "I knew my place."

"No, you didn't!" Yuna pressed, and she walked up to him, so that she was just inches away from him. "Your place is here, Tidus! Here with me!"

Tidus just shook his head. "I refuse to believe it."

"But I…"

"I have to go," Tidus said, his tone completely monotone and emotionless. "Excuse me."

He pushed past her then, bumping his shoulder into hers. The impact seemed as if it bruised Yuna. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion, actually. She could hear every footstep he took.

"Please don't go…" she said, her voice shaking. She knew it was helpless. It was over. He was leaving her.

Suddenly feeling a surge of anger, Yuna turned to him and said, "What if I refuse to let you go?"

To this, Tidus stopped, and let out a soft chuckle.

"Do whatever you want," he just said, shrugging. "I really could care less."

Upon hearing his voice again, Yuna's eyes welled back up with tears.

"Tidus," she said, walking up to him slowly, almost cautiously. "Surely you feel something toward me? Even now? I mean… just a week ago we spent our time in that blitzball arena, completely immersed in each other. What happened?"

"Reality happened, Yuna," Tidus said, his tone still emotionless.

"Tidus, this is reality," Yuna said, her eyes meeting his. "You being my old childhood friend is reality. Please accept it! We can be together forever and forget about this foolish war!"

Tidus just shook his head.

"No, Yuna," he said, his head continuing to shake, "I can't just forget about this war. This so-called foolish war. I know you think Nooj is a traitor, but even if your story is true, Nooj kept me alive. I was there when we had to evacuate Zanarkand. I was there when it was bombed into oblivion. I had friends in Besaid, Yuna. Good, close friends. Friends who were as close to me as I am to you. Don't you see? I have to fight for them. Take care of yourself. If I survive, I'll come back to you."

Yuna shook her head, her eyes full of tears.

"What if I refuse to take you back?" she questioned.

"Then that's my fate," Tidus said.

"Tidus!" Yuna cried once again as he turned to leave. "You won't survive. I know for sure."

Tidus looked back at her over his shoulder, his expression somewhat shocked.

With a small smile creeping onto his lips, he nodded and said, "Then in that case, farewell."

Yuna's face fell at his words, but with that, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Yuna sat there, completely in shock. Her mind flashed through memories of the younger Tidus, her best friend. She thought of the lonely years without him, and the few days that she'd spent with him recently. All of that was going to be wiped away, and all because Tidus seemed to be in denial.

It was too much for her to take. She felt her legs collapse beneath her, and she fell, where she remained, sobbing.

-

Yuna stabbed at her food with her fork. She was sitting in the grand dining hall all by herself, sitting at the head, as if she was expecting a great company. Of course, no one was going to be coming to visit her.

She thought about what Tidus had told her. He was to leave in three days, and the three days were up. She'd spent her time trying to think of ideas as to how to get him to come back.

Her initial plot—and one that she almost went through with—was to tell her father about him. She knew her father would 'rescue' him. Well, have him rescued, anyway.

But Yuna knew that would be entirely against his will. As strongly as she felt toward it, she knew she couldn't betray Tidus. She knew he'd never forgive her.

Still, as she stabbed at her food, she felt tears growing in her eyes. She couldn't let him leave like that.

She closed her eyes tightly. There was one thing that was especially bothering her.

For as long as she could remember, she'd felt as if Tidus was the only one for her. Even when she was with 'Sorin', a part of her still felt connected to Tidus. (Which, thankfully, Sorin ended up being Tidus, so everything was alright….)

Without meaning to, Yuna found herself writing out "I love you" into her food. She bit her lip hard. She wanted to tell Tidus how she felt. She loved him.

It was eating her heart up, just as it always had. More than anything, she wanted to be with him. She couldn't just let him run off and get himself killed.

Finally, Yuna stood up. She had to find him. She had to tell him how she felt!

Her eyes quickly looked out the window. It was already late afternoon. Perhaps he'd already left?

She sat back down slowly. Of course he'd probably already left. And even if he hadn't, how in the world was she supposed to find him?

Her mind was running. How would he leave? She tried to think. It was then that her eyes lit up. Travelling by foot was off-limits, as the gates were still closed. However, one could leave by boat.

Yuna jumped up, almost knocking her chair over as she did so. She quickly glanced out the window once again, noticing that it looked as if it could storm.

Dark clouds hung low in the sky, casting an overall drowsy atmosphere that had been going on since Tidus left her. She figured it was fitting, and with that as her last thought, she went running out of the dining room.

She bounded down the stairs and out the front door, ignoring yells from the guards. She just continued to run. She had to get to the wharf district. She had to stop Tidus before it was too late!

Breathing heavily as she ran, she pushed her way through the merchant district, passing the spot that she had first talked to Tidus. People looked at her with confused expressions on their faces, but she ignored them.

She reached the wharf district in no time at all, and was still running on adrenaline, for she didn't feel the least bit worn out.

The district was surprisingly busy. People were everywhere.

"Excuse me," Yuna said, making her way through the crowd. If Tidus was there, how would she ever find him?

She spun around in circles, trying desperately to find him. Just as she was about to give up hope, she saw him.

He was standing with his back to her, and he seemed to be waiting for something.

"Tidus!" Yuna cried, running toward him quickly.

He spun around with a shocked look on his face, and as Yuna ran up to embrace him, he simply quickly pushed her away.

"Tidus, I—," Yuna said quickly, only to have Tidus quickly cut her off.

"Are you out of your mind?" he said, his voice extremely harsh. "There are youth leaguers everywhere! I can't talk to you!"

"But I have to!" Yuna cried. "Please Tidus, I have to talk to you!" she cried. She saw his eyes lighten. He blinked at her a few times, and swallowed loudly.

"Here's what we're going to do," he said, whispering to her very quickly. "We're going to take ten steps away from each other, and then turn around. Then, walk toward me, but make no notion that you know me. Take about five steps past me, and then talk to me without facing me. Got it?"

Yuna didn't get the chance to respond, for Tidus started walking away from her.

"Whatever you do," he said, talking ahead of himself, as if he was talking to no one, "don't turn around. For both of our safety."

"Alright," Yuna said, although she felt as if she was talking to no one.

She quickly took ten steps, counting in her head. She turned around then, and saw that Tidus turned around at the exact same moment.

He looked straight ahead, looking past her. Although it was very hard for her to do, Yuna did the same, keeping her eyes pointed at the ground.

She felt her shoulder brush against his as they passed, and it took everything in her power to keep herself from simply turning and embracing him. She swallowed though, and reminded herself that Tidus had a point. Her eyes skimmed the crowd, wondering how many were actually Youth League members.

She took five steps away from Tidus, walking away from the docks while he walked closer to them.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" she heard Tidus' voice faintly behind her.

She closed her eyes, knowing that she had to fight the urge to turn around and look at him.

"Please," she said, begging once again, "don't go. Don't leave. Stay here. I couldn't think of a happier ending. You'll live. Isn't that all that matters in the long run?"

"I can't," she heard Tidus' voice. "I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Wait!" Yuna cried. She wanted desperately to turn around, but she couldn't. Still, she knew he was back there, just a matter of ten paces away from her. She opened her eyes, and turned her head slightly, although not enough to see him. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes again, and said, "I love you."

Just as she finished her statement, a loud roll of thunder was heard from above, and she knew it was just a matter of time before rain came.

Biting her lip to keep herself from crying, she continued. "I love you so much. I always have. Always. And I always will. I can't let you go off and get killed. I'll never know. I'll never know if you've died or not!"

She felt a raindrop land on her head, and she looked up at the sky, as if confused as to the source of the drop. She felt another one land on her nose, and pretty soon the raindrops began to fall quickly.

"I love you," she said again. It was then that she noticed how silent it was. Although she'd promised him she wouldn't, she turned around quickly, only to have her heart fall.

Tidus was gone.

"Tidus!" Yuna cried, and she ran through the crowd, shoving. "Tidus!" She looked every which way, and worked her way to the docks.

A man shoved her accidentally with this elbow, sending her sprawling to the ground. She only felt the ground for a moment though, for she was back up, yelling out Tidus' name.

She reached the edge of the docks, and that's when she saw it.

Just leaving port was a large boat. Without even having to see him, she knew he was on it.

"Tidus…" she said in just a whisper. She was now completely soaked from the rain, and the coldness was seeping into her, but it didn't seem to matter. She felt completely dead.

She watched the boat until it was out of sight. Everything seemed to grow much more peaceful.

A tear slipped slowly down Yuna's face. It was over. He was gone.

She ran through her time with him in her head. Finally, she let out a low sigh, and turned around, making the long trek back to the palace.

She knew Tidus' survival chances weren't good. With her frown still on her face, she decided that really, he was as good as dead.

A smile replaced her frown though. Throughout her youth, she'd prayed to have just one more day with Tidus, and she'd received many more than just one.

As she walked back to the palace, dripping wet, she thought about everything that had been lost to the war. Closing her eyes with a smile on her face, she thought about honestly wonderful it had been to see Tidus again.

But like everything, it was fleeting.

With her eyes still closed and that dreamy smile spread out across her lips, she let her mind go wild. _The fated city of __Zanarkand__, the fated island of __Besaid__, the fated romance of __Tidus__ and herself. All of it fated…fated to end._

Herself? _Fated to wait an eternity to be with __Tidus_

**A/N: **Thank you everybody for reading! And thank you for reviews:)_  
_

And I hope you all enjoyed the story!


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